siLveRCKTe  sewes 


fa/pj 


Js>*^^^^ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


00022094760 


BOOKS  BY  PENN  SHIRLEY, 


BOY  DONALD  SERIES. 

Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  75  cents. 
<Boy  *Donald. 

<Boy  'Donald  and  His  Chum. 
<Boy  ^Donald  and  His  Hero* 

LITTLE  MISS  WEEZY  SERIES. 

Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  75  cents. 
Little  cMiss  Weezy. 

Little  €Miss  Weezy's  brother. 

Little  SMiss  Weezy's  Sister* 

THE  SILVER  GATE  SERIES* 

Illustrated.     Price  per  volume,  75  cents. 
Young  cMaster  Kirke. 

'The  SMerry  Five. 

The  Happy  Six* 

COMPLETE    CATALOGUES    FREE. 
.  ■  .  - 

LOTHROF    LEE   &   SHEPARD   CO. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://archive.org/details/happysixbypennshOOshir 


The  lad  dashed  forward 


See  Page  55 


THE    SILVER   GATE   SERIES 


THE     HAPPY    SIX 


BY 


PENN    SHIRLEY 

AUTHOR  OF  "LITTLE  MISS  WEEZY "   "LITTLE   MISS  WEEZY's  BROTHER' 

"  LITTLE    MISS  WEEZY's   SISTER  "    "  YOUNG  MASTER 

KIRKE"   "THE  MERRY  FIVE"  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


BOSTON : 
LOTHROP,    LEE    &   SHEPARD   CO. 


Copyright,  1897,  by  Lee  and  Shepard 


All  Rights  Reserved 


The  Happy  Six 


J.  S.  Cushing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith 
Norwood  Mass.  U.S.A. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    Five  and  One 7 

II.    Shot  and  Sing  Wung 15 

III.  Who  was  the  Thief? 31 

IV.  Kirke's  Brave  Deed 44 

V.    Off  for  New  York 59 

VI.    Off  for  Europe 78 

VII.    Ten  and  One 93 

VIII.    Eleven  in  France 104 

IX.    The  Mysterious  Bag 115 

X.    Where  is  Number  Six? 130 

XI.  What  Strange  Countries!        ....  144 

XII.    The  Very  Happy  Six 159 


9.S9468 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


"  The  lad  dashed  forward  " Frontispiece. 

"  '  Oh  !   I  am  ever  so  sorry,'  said  Weezy  "      .     .  Page  87 

4 '  Here  I  is,  Mamma" 142 

"  I've  found  it !  " 169 


THE   HAPPY  SIX 


CHAPTER   I 

FIVE  AND   ONE 

"The  Happy  Six"  grew  out  of  "The  Merry 
Five,"  and  this  was  the  way  of  it:  — 

The  Merry  Five,  as  you  may  remember, 
were  Molly,  Kirke,  and  Weezy  Rowe,  and 
their  twin  neighbors,  Paul  and  Pauline  Brad- 
street;  and  they  lived  in  Silver  Gate  City, 
in  sunny  California. 

Well,  —  to  go  on  with  the  story, — one  May 
morning  before  school-time,  as  Kirke  was 
amusing  his  little  brother  upon  the  veranda, 
Molly  came  rushing  out  in  great  excitement, 
crying,  — 

"O  Kirke,  you  can't  guess  what's  going 
to  happen  to  The  Merry  Five ! " 

7 


8  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

Kirke,  engaged  in  attaching  a  string  to 
the  neck  of  a  speckled  horned  toad,  answered 
coolly  without  looking  up, — 

"  No ;  and  I  never  said  I  could.  Fortune- 
telling  is  not  my  trade." 

"  What  is  your  trade,  you  funny  boy  ?  " 
asked  little  Miss  Weezy,  suddenly  appearing 
from  the  garden. 

"Just  at  present  I  am  in  the  harness  busi- 
ness/' he  returned,  as  he  tied  together  the 
ends  of  the  cord. 

Yellow-haired  Donald,  on  his  hands  and 
knees  at  his  brother's  feet,  watched  the  pro- 
ceeding with  deep  interest,  for  this  toad  was 
to  be  his  little  pony. 

"  In  the  teasing  business  you  mean,  Kirke 
Rowe,"  retorted  Molly,  tossing  back  her  long 
auburn  braid  with  some  impatience.  "You 
want  me  to  think  you  don't  care  what  hap- 
pens to  The  Merry  Five." 

"  Whisper    it    to    me,    Molly,    please    do ! " 


FIVE  AND   ONE  9 

implored  Weezy,  her  dainty  sea-shell  ear  close 

to   her  sister's  mouth.      "  I  can  keep  a  secret 

all  to  myself." 

"It's    not   a   secret,"   cried   Molly,   waltzing 

the    child    down    the    veranda.    "  It's    not    a 

secret,  but   Kirke   needn't   listen."      And   she 

chanted  gayly  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  — 

"  We're  going  to  Europe,  to  Europe,  to  Europe, 
The  Merry  Five  are  going  to  Europe ! " 

This  aroused  Kirke. 

"  Molly  Rowe,  what  do  you  mean  ? "  he 
cried,  nearly  letting  the  toad  escape,  harness 
and  all.     "Who  said  such  a  thing?" 

"Well,  Captain  Bradstreet  is  going,  anyway. 
There's  some  trouble  in  Paris  about  one  of  his 
vessels:  he's  obliged  to  go  in  June." 

"But  what  has  that  to  do  with  us,  I'd  like 
to  inquire  ? " 

"  Oh,  nothing,  nothing  at  all !  Only  we're 
going  with  him ;  that  is,  I  almost  know  we 
are.      The    doctor   said    yesterday  that    papa 


10  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

needed  a  sea  voyage,  and  mud-baths,  and 
things.  And  mamma  said  just  now,  *  Yes, 
Edward,  you  ought  to  go  to  Europe.'  And 
when  mamma  says  that"  — 

"I  declare,  Molly  Rowe,  it  does  look  like 
it!     June,  did  you  say?" 

"Is  it  far  to  Europe ? "  asked  Weezy  anx- 
iously ;  "  farther  than  Mexico  ?  " 

"Farther  than  Mexico?  Why,  you  little 
goosie,  Mexico  is  within  sight  of  us,  and  Europe 
is  'way  off  to  the  other  side  of  the  world." 

"Truly?  Then  I'm  not  going  to  any  old 
Europe !  " 

And  Weezy's  lip  began  to  quiver. 

"  Not  with  papa  and  mamma,  darling  ? "  said 
Molly.  "They'll  go  with  us  and  so  will  Cap- 
tain Bradstreet,  and  they'll  all  take  care  of 
The  Merry  Five." 

"  Here's  three  cheers  for  Europe ! "  shouted 
Kirke,  swinging  his  cap.  "  And  hurrah  !  Three 
cheers  for  The  Merry  Five ! " 


FIVE  AND    ONE  II 

"Hurrah!  Free  chairs  for  Mary  Five/" 
echoed  little  Donald,  flapping  his  arms  like 
a  windmill  in  a  gale.  "  Hurrah !  Free  chairs 
for  Mary  Five!" 

It  was  so  droll  to  hear  him  that  his  lis- 
teners all  laughed:   and  who  can  wonder? 

"  Bravo,  Don ! "  roared  Kirke,  tossing  the 
little  cheerer  over  his  shoulder.  "  If  your 
Mary  Five  wants  free  chairs  she  ought  to 
have  'em ! " 

"So  I  say,"  said  Molly,  drying  her  eyes. 
"And  a  little  boy  that  can  shout  for  her  like 
that  deserves  a  reserved  seat ! " 

"  Let's  give  him  one  —  a  reserved  seat  in 
our  club,"  returned  Kirke  good-naturedly. 
"He  ought  to  come  into  The  Merry  Five." 

"Only  with  him,  you  see,  we  shouldn't  be 
The  Merry  Five  any  longer,"  demurred  Molly ; 
"there'd  be  one  to  carry." 

"Then  we  might  call  ourselves  The  Merry 
Six:    how   is   that?"    amended   Kirke,  setting 


12  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

Donald  down  again.  "What  do  you  say  to 
The  Merry  Six  ?  " 

"The  Merry  Half  Dozen  would  be  nicer, 
/  think,"  put  in  Weezy;  "a  great  deal  nicer." 

"Nonsense,  Weezy,"  retorted  Kirke,  "that 
sounds  like  a  nestful  of  eggs !  Let's  have  it 
The  Merry  Six." 

"Why  not  The  Happy  Six?"  asked  Molly, 
with  a  roguish  smile.  "Let's  be  happy  now, 
just  for  a  change." 

"Agreed,  Molly,  I'm  willing,  if  Paul  and 
Pauline  are." 

"So  am  I,  too,"  assented  Miss  Weezy, 
though  secretly  preferring  a  half  dozen  to 
six. 

Paul  was  just  now  away  on  a  visit,  but 
when  they  proposed  the  question  to  Pauline 
that  afternoon,  she  received  "little  Number 
Six"  into  the  club  with  open  arms,  and  de- 
clared that  his  extreme  youth  was  no  objec- 
tion whatever.     She  had  heard  that  as  people 


FIVE  AND    ONE  1 3 

grow  older,  they  always  approve  of  having 
young  members  come  into  their  clubs.  She 
was  sure  Paul  would  welcome  Master  Donald 
cordially,  and  would  agree  with  them  all  that 
the  new  name  proposed  by  Molly  was  ex- 
actly the  thing. 

Thus  it  happened  that  Donald  and  his 
"  Mary  Five "  became  straightway  "  The 
Happy  Six;"  and  this  is  a  true  account  of 
the  transaction;  though,  to  be  sure,  it  had 
not  been  settled  yet  that  the  club  was  going 
to  Europe. 

"  But  what  difference  does  that  make  ? " 
asked  Pauline.  "Can't  we  be  The  Happy 
Six,  all  the  same,  wherever  we  are  ?  I  move 
that  we  try  to  be  happy  right  here  in  Cali- 
fornia till  the  middle  of  June,  anyway,  and 
then  "  — 

"I  second  the  move,"  responded  Molly. 

"'Tis  a  vote,"  cried  Kirke  and  little  Num- 
ber Six  in  chorus. 


14  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

And  now,  in  the  chapters  that  follow,  you 
will  hear  more  of  this  new  brother-and-sister- 
hood,  and  will  learn  of  its  whereabouts  and 
all  its  proceedings. 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  1 5 


CHAPTER   II 


SHOT   AND    SING   WUNG 


Whether  the  Rowes  should  decide  to  go 
to  Europe  or  not,  the  Bradstreets  were  go- 
ing; and  Captain  Bradstreet  thought  it  high 
time  to  inform  Paul  of  the  plan.  The  boy- 
had  not  been  well  for  some  days,  and  for 
change  of  air  had  been  sent  to  the  ranch  of 
Mr.  Keith,  a  relative,  who  had  a  warm  re- 
gard for  himself  and  his  sister  Pauline. 

"  Kirke,"  said  the  captain,  driving  up  that 
afternoon  after  school,  "  I'm  going  out  to 
Mr.  Keith's  to  see  Paul.  Would  you  like  to 
go  with  me  ? " 

"Thank  you,  thank  you,  Captain  Brad- 
street,  I'll  be  ready  in  a  second,"  cried 
Kirke,  rushing  for  his  hat. 


1 6  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

The  spirited  horse  had  been  reined  up  to 
the  hedge,  where  he  pawed  and  champed 
the  bit,  till  his  passenger  appeared  and 
vaulted  headlong  into  the  phaeton. 

In  his  haste,  Kirke  had  forgotten  to  tie 
Shot,  the  fox-terrier,  into  his  kennel. 

"Weezy,  Weezy,"  he  called  over  his  shoul- 
der, as  the  carriage  started.  "  Look  out  for 
Shot,  please,  Weezy ;  don't  let  him  follow  us." 

"  I  won't  let  him/'  said  Weezy ;  "  I'll  keep 
him."  And  she  drew  him  into  the  house 
and  closed  the  door. 

Having  done  this,  she  went  back  upon  the 
veranda  to  finish  her  sewing.  She  was  mak- 
ing a  golf  cape  for  her  pet  doll  to  wear  at 
sea;  and  the  work  proved  so  absorbing  that 
she  failed  to  notice  what  Donald  was  doing. 
Before  she  knew  it,  the  child  had  opened 
the  front  door,  and  run  into  the  hall;  and  at 
the  same  time  Shot  had  run  out,  and  gone 
tearing  after  the  phaeton. 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  1? 

Kirke  looked  rather  crestfallen  when  the 
little  animal   came   barking   about  the  wheels. 

"  There's  that  dog,  after  all.  I  didn't 
mean  he  should  come." 

"  Send  him  home,  then,"  suggested  the 
captain.  "Why  don't  you  send  him  home, 
Kirke  ? " 

"  Because  he  wouldn't  go,"  answered  the 
lad,  in  laughing  confusion.  "  He  wouldn't 
go,  and  I  should  only  hurt  his  feelings  for 
nothing." 

The  ruddy-faced  captain  suppressed  a 
smile,  and  listened  patiently,  while  Kirke 
proceeded  to  sing  the  praises  of  the  grace- 
ful white  terrier,  who  would  not  obey  his 
master. 

"  He  loves  me  tremendously ;  he  can't  bear 
to  stay  away  from  me :  there's  the  trouble." 

And  in  truth  a  more  affectionate  dog  than 
little  Shot  never  lived.  He  was  a  general 
favorite,  which  certainly  could  not   have  been 


1 8  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

said  of  Zip,  Donald's  Mexican  cur  that  had 
died  the  preceding  autumn. 

As  the  phaeton  whirled  along,  Shot  darted 
first  to  one  side  of  the  road  and  then  to  the 
other,  to  chase  squirrels  and  gophers  into 
their  holes,  but  without  once  losing  sight  of 
his  beloved  owner. 

"  I  suppose,  Kirke,  you're  very  fond  of  the 
little  rascal,"  observed  the  captain,  as  they 
drew   near  the  end   of  their  drive. 

"You'd  better  believe  I  am,  Captain  Brad- 
street.     I  wouldn't  part  with  him  for  a  farm." 

"The  lad's  in  sober  earnest,"  thought  the 
gentleman,  peering  from  beneath  his  white 
eyebrows  at  Kirke's  animated  face.  "  I  never 
knew  a  boy  more  devoted  to  his  friends." 

They  were  now  spinning  along  the  wind- 
ing avenue  leading  to  Mr.  Keith's  house.  At 
their  right  was  a  green  lawn,  bordered  with 
orange-trees;  on  their  left,  a  thrifty  olive- 
orchard,  in  which  a  Chinaman  was  plowing. 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  1 9 

"They're  always  plowing  somewhere,"  com- 
mented the  captain.  "  I  understand  the  soil 
has  to  be  turned  over  pretty  often  to  keep 
it  light  and  moist." 

"And  it  has  to  be  irrigated,  too,  doesn't 
it  ? "  asked  Kirke,  watching  Shot,  skipping 
nimbly  across  the  field  toward  the  mule- 
team. 

"  Irrigated  ?  Oh,  yes.  But  there's  not 
water  enough  at  present  to  do  the  thing 
thoroughly,  and  that  is  why  Mr.  Keith  is 
having  a  new  well  dug  over  yonder." 

"  I  see  it,"  said  Kirke,  glancing  in  the 
direction  indicated  by  the  captain;  "and  he 
has  got  the  curb  up  already." 

"  So  he  has.     Ah,  here  comes  Paul.     I  "  — 

The  sentence  was  cut  short  by  a  prolonged 
howl  from  Shot.  The  confiding  little  creature 
had  ventured  too  near  the  Chinaman's  heels, 
and  Sing  Wung,  suspecting  him  of  evil  inten- 
tions, had  driven  him  away  by  a  vigorous  kick. 


20  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"  The  old  wretch !  "  cried  Kirke,  springing 
over  the  carriage-wheel.  "He's  been  abusing 
my  poor  little  Shot!" 

And  as  the  yelping  dog  ran  up  to  him  for 
protection,  Kirke  soothed  him  as  he  would 
have  soothed  a  baby. 

Before  Captain  Bradstreet  could  hitch  his 
horse  to  the  post  under  the  pepper-tree,  Paul 
was  beside  him,  his  face  aglow  with  pleasure 
as  well  as  with  sunburn.  The  sunburn 
caused  him  to  look  more  than  ever  like  his 
father.  Each  had  large,  frank,  blue  eyes 
and  a  ruddy  complexion ;  but  while  the  cap- 
tain's hair  was  snow-white,  his  son's  was 
flaxen,  or,  as  Pauline  would  have  it,  "a  light 
ecru." 

"How  are  you,  Paul?  How  are  you,  my 
dear  boy  ?     Better,  I  hope  ? " 

"  Oh  yes,  papa,  ever  so  much  better,  thank 
you.  But  why  haven't  you  come  before? 
I've  looked  for  you  and  looked  for  you ! " 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  21 

Paul  spoke  with  feeling.  He  and  Pauline, 
though  now  fifteen  years  of  age,  were  not 
ashamed  to  show  their  love  for  their  father. 
The  affection  existing  between  Captain  Brad- 
street  and  his  motherless  twins  was  some- 
thing beautiful  to  behold. 

Kirke  was  surprised  to  see  how  coolly 
Paul  received  the  news  of  the  proposed  trip 
to  Europe.  Though  greatly  pleased,  he  was 
by  no  means  as  excited  as  Kirke  had  been 
that  morning  when  the  plan  was  first  men- 
tioned. Paul  was  a  quieter  sort  of  boy  than 
Kirke,  and  two  years  older.  Moreover,  he 
had  already  been  to  sea  several  times,  and 
the  novelty  was  pretty  well  worn  off.  Still, 
he  wished  to  go  again  very  much,  especially 
if  the  Rowes  would  go,  too,  for  "that  would 
make  it  a  good  deal  jollier." 

After  chatting  awhile,  Captain  Bradstreet 
went  into  the  lemon-house  to  speak  with  his 
cousin,  Mr.  Keith,  leaving  the  boys  to  enter- 


22  .       THE  HAPPY  SIX 

tain  each  other.  Paul,  acting  as  host,  at  once 
invited  Kirke  to  visit  the  well  that  had  been 
begun ;  and  they  sauntered  by  the  lemon- 
grove  to  a  deep  hole  sunk  in  the  ground. 
Above  the  hole  stood  a  windlass  with  a 
bucket  attached  to  it. 

"  Is  anybody  down  there  now  ? "  asked 
Kirke,  dropping  upon  his  knees  and  peer- 
ing into  the  dark  cavern. 

"  No,  Yeck  Wo  is  sick  to-day ;  so  Sing 
Wung  left  off  working  here,  and  is  cultivat- 
ing  in  the  orchard." 

"  So  it  takes  two  to  run  this  thing  ? " 

"  Yes.  Sing  Wung  stays  below  to  shovel 
earth  into  the  bucket,  and  Yeck  Wo  stays  up 
here  to  turn  the  windlass  and  draw  the 
bucket   up   into   daylight." 

"I  see,"  said  Kirke,  "and  the  Wo  fellow 
tips  the  earth  out  of  the  bucket  on  to  this 
heap  here,  then  sends  the  bucket  back  empty. 
It  must  be  fun  to  watch  him." 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  2$ 

"  It'll  be  more  fun,  though,  when  they  strike 
hard  pan,  for  then  they'll  begin  to  blast." 

It  was  not  Paul  who  said  this,  but  Mr. 
Keith.  He  and  Captain  Bradstreet  had  now 
joined  the  boys  and  were  standing  with  them 
near  the  well.  "When  they  begin  to  blast, 
Kirke,  you  must  come  down  here  and  make 
us  a  little  visit,"  added  Mr.  Keith. 

Kirke  accepted  the  invitation  eagerly,  for, 
like  most  boys  of  thirteen,  he  revelled  in  the 
explosion  of  gunpowder. 

"  Let's  see,  can't  you  come  Saturday,  bright 
and  early?  I've  promised  to  let  Sing  Wung 
go  home  Friday,  and  Paul  will  drive  out  for 
him  Saturday  morning,  and  could  bring  you 
back  with  him  as  well  as  not." 

"O  Mr.  Keith,  I  hope  I  can  come,"  said 
Kirke  joyously,  as  he  and  the  captain  took 
their  departure. 

But  in  repassing  the  olive-orchard  the 
youth's   happy  face  clouded.     In  the  distance 


24  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

he  caught  a  glimpse  of  Sing  Wung  in  the 
very  act  of  flinging  a  stone  at  little  Shot, 
who,  forgetful  of  the  recent  repulse,  had 
frisked  again  into  his  neighborhood. 

"If  that  old  Chinaman  wasn't  so  far  off  I'd 
give  him  '  Hail  Columbia ! ' "  muttered  he. 
"  Mean  creature !  Wouldn't  I  like  to  dump 
him  into  that  new  well  ? " 

"No;  you  certainly  wouldn't,"  said  the  cap- 
tain with  an  indulgent  smile.  "  On  the  con- 
trary, I'll  wager  that  if  he  should  fall  in, 
you'd  be  the  first  to  help  pull  him  out." 

Kirke  was  indignantly  protesting  that  he 
"should  do  no  such  thing,"  when  suddenly  the 
horse,  Pizarro,  stumbled  upon  a  rolling  stone 
and  turned  a  half-somersault   down  the  hill. 

In  an  instant  Captain  Bradstreet  and  Kirke 
had  leaped  to  the  ground. 

"  Sit  upon  his  head,  Kirke,"  ordered  the 
captain.  "  So  long  as  his  head  is  kept  down 
he  can't  flounder  about." 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  2$ 

Kirke  did  as  he  was  told,  and  while  he  was 
perched  upon  Pizarro's  broad  cheek,  Captain 
Bradstreet  unbuckled  the  harness  and  de- 
tached it  from  the   phaeton. 

"  The  thill  is  broken,  isn't  it  ? "  asked  Kirke. 

"Yes,  broken  almost  in  two." 

Captain  Bradstreet  firmly  grasped  the 
horse's  bridle.  "  Now  jump,  Kirke,  and  be 
quick  about  it." 

Kirke  promptly  obeyed,  and  Pizarro  straight- 
way struggled  to  his  feet,  looking  very  much 
ashamed. 

"  He  doesn't  seem  to  be  injured  anywhere," 
said  the  captain,  after  carefully  feeling  the 
horse's  limbs.  "  I  wish  the  same  could  be 
said  of  the  phaeton.  Have  you  a  string 
about  you,  Kirke,  to  splice  that  shaft  with  ? " 

For  a  wonder  Kirke' s  pocket  to-day  did 
not  boast  of   even  so   much   as  a  fishing-line. 

"  I  might  run  to  the  next  ranch  and  beg  a 
bit  of  rope,"  he  suggested. 


26  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"Wait  a  moment,  my  boy,  here  comes  a 
greaser.     Let's   see  what   he   can  do   for  us." 

A  "greaser"  is  the  common  name  for  a 
Mexican  Indian. 

"What  an  ugly,  stupid-looking  fellow," 
thought  Kirke ;  "  I  don't  believe  he  knows  a 
string  from  a  rattlesnake." 

But,  unpromising  as  he  appeared,  the  Ind- 
ian understood  a  little  English,  and,  on  be- 
ing offered  a  silver  quarter,  uncoiled  from  his 
neck  a  long,  narrow  strip  of  deerskin,  and 
with  it  tied  together  the  splintered  ends  of 
the  thill. 

"The  greasers  use  those  strips  of  deerhide 
when  they  tote  bundles  on  their  backs,"  ex- 
plained the  captain,  when  they  were  again  on 
their  way.  "He  has  spliced  the  shaft  pretty 
firmly,  Kirke,  but  it  may  draw  apart.  You'd 
better  keep  close  watch  of  it." 

The  damaged  thill  was  the  one  on  Kirke's 
side  of  the  phaeton,  and  for  the  rest  of  the 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  2? 

drive  he  felt  such  a  responsibility  about  it 
that  he  forgot  everything  else;  he  even  for- 
got his  beloved  little  terrier. 

They  were  entering  the  city  before  he  no- 
ticed that  Shot  was  nowhere  in  sight.  Then 
he  remembered  that  he  had  not  seen  him 
since  leaving  Mr.  Keith's  ranch. 

"  Now  I  think  of  it,  I  haven't  seen  him 
either,"  said  Captain  Bradstreet.  "  Maybe 
the  little  scamp  took  a  notion  to  stay  with 
Paul." 

"Oh,  no,  Captain  Bradstreet,  that  wouldn't 
be  a  bit  like  Shot!"  exclaimed  Kirke  vehe- 
mently. "  Don't  you  know  how  he's  always 
tagging  after  me?" 

"Yes,  like  a  dory  after  a  pilot-boat,"  said 
the  captain,  smiling. 

"Where  can  he  be,  I  wonder?  Do  you 
suppose  —  you  don't  suppose  —  that  hateful 
Chinaman  can  have  lamed  him  or  anything?" 

Kirke    looked    so    extremely    troubled    that 


28  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

the  tender-hearted  captain  hastened  to  reply, 
"  No,  indeed !  I  don't  suppose  anything  of 
the  kind.  More  likely  Shot  has  picked  a 
quarrel  with  a  gopher  and  is  bound  to  have 
the  last  word.  If  he's  not  at  home  by  sunrise 
we'll  ride  back  to  the  ranch  to  look  him  up." 

He  fully  expected  to  hear  the  dog's  merry 
bark  at  any  moment,  and  was  quite  dis- 
turbed the  next  morning  when  Kirke  ran 
over  to  tell  him  that  the  little  terrier  was 
still  missing. 

"  Don't  worry,  we'll  soon  find  him,"  he 
said  ;  and  immediately  telephoned  for  the 
horse   and   surrey. 

But  when  he  and  Kirke  reached  the  ranch 
Shot  was  not  there,  nor  had  he  been  there 
since  the  previous  afternoon.  "The  very 
last  I  saw  of  him,  Sing  Wung  was  shying 
a  stone  at  him,"  said  Paul.  "  He  hates  dogs, 
that  Chinaman  does.  I  believe  he's  afraid 
of   them." 


SHOT  AND  SING    WUNG  2g 

"  He  couldn't  have  been  afraid  of  my  dear 
little  innocent  terrier,"  exclaimed  Kirke 
savagely;  "he  stoned  him  just  for  mean- 
ness." 

On  being  interviewed,  Sing  Wung  pro- 
tested that  the  dog  had  followed  the  car- 
riage, and  that  was  all  he  knew  about  him. 
But  he  spoke  in  such  a  hesitating  way  that 
Kirke  was  sure  he  kept  back  the  truth.  The 
lad  was  passing  through  a  fiery  ordeal  and 
his  heart  was  hot  within  him.  "  If  ever  I 
saw  lies  I  saw  'em  to-day  in  those  slanting 
eyes  behind  us,"  he  said  in  Paul's  ear  as 
they  turned  away  from  the  suspected  Celes- 
tial. "I  feel  just  as  if  he  had  killed  poor 
little  Shot  and  pitched  him  into  the  cailon." 

"  Oh,  he  wouldn't  do  that,  Kirke ;  'twould 
take  too  much  courage  —  Sing  Wung  is  a 
chicken-hearted   creature." 

"  Not  too  chicken-hearted  to  stone  my  dog, 
though." 


30  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

Paul  could  not  gainsay  this,  but  as  he 
bade  Kirke  good-by,  he  remarked  cheerily, — 

"  I  half  believe  you'll  find  Shot  at  home 
waiting  for  you.  I  shall  know  Saturday 
morning.  Remember  I'm  coming  for  you 
Saturday   morning   at   six   o'clock,    sharp." 


WHO    WAS    THE    THIEF?  3 1 


CHAPTER   III 


WHO   WAS   THE   THIEF  f 


Paul  called  for  Kirke  on  the  following 
Saturday,  long  before  breakfast-time.  He 
had  driven  in  from  the  ranch  in  Mr.  Keith's 
two-seated  wagon,  drawn  by  a  pair  of  little 
brown  mules,  and  was  evidently  in  a  prodig- 
ious hurry. 

"Hello,  Selkirk!"  he  shouted  to  the  side 
of  the  house.  "  Stir  around  lively.  Mr. 
Keith  wants  Sing  Wung  to  get  to  work  on 
the  well  early." 

"  I'll  be  there  in  two  seconds,"  returned 
Kirke,  thrusting  a  tumbled  head  through  an 
open  window.     "All  dressed  but  my  hair." 

"  Good !  Can't  you  eat  your  breakfast  on 
the  road?" 


32  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"To  be  sure.  I  can  eat  anywhere,  every- 
where." 

The  tumbled  head  disappeared ;  and  Paul 
began  to  munch  a  buttered  roll  just  brought 
him  by  his  sister  Pauline.  Their  home  was 
just  across  the  street,  and  she  had  watched 
for  Paul,  and  rushed  out  to  meet  him,  and 
now  stood  leaning  against  the  front  wheel  of 
the  wagon,  chatting  with  him.  She  was  a 
warm-hearted,  impulsive  girl,  rather  too  heed- 
less and  outspoken  at  times.  She  had  no 
mother  to  guide  her,  and  lacked  the  gentle 
manners  of  her  friend,  Molly  Rowe. 

"You  ought  to  put  on  your  hat,  Polly. 
You're  getting  as  brown  as  a  Mexican,"  re- 
marked Paul,  with  brotherly  frankness,  as  he 
attacked  a  second  roll. 

"Black,  you  should  say,"  corrected  she 
coolly.  "  I've  noticed  it  myself.  You're  an 
albino.  I'm  a  negress.  I've  no  manner  of  douH 
people  call  us  '  the  black  and  white  twins.' " 


WHO    WAS   THE   THIEF?  33 

"What  about  Shot,  Paul?  Has  he  been 
heard  from  ? "  called  Molly  from  behind  the 
window-shade  of  her  chamber. 

"Oh,  I  hoped  he  had  turned  up  by  this 
time.  No,  we  haven't  seen  a  sign  of  him, 
Molly;  but  we've  found  this." 

Here  Paul  held  up  a  dog's  collar. 

"Shot's  collar!"  cried  Molly. 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  you've  found  that 
and  haven't  found  the  dog  ? "  exclaimed 
Kirke,  rushing  down  the  steps  of  the  ve- 
randa, flourishing  in  one  hand  a  gripsack, 
in  the  other  a  small  bunch  of  bananas. 
"Where  did  you  find  it,  Paul?     And  when?" 

"  Last  night,  Kirke,  in  the  hedge  of  the 
olive-orchard." 

"In  the  hedge?" 

"  Yes,  tucked   under  it,  'way  out  of  sight." 

"Then  somebody  hid  it  there — Sing 
Wung!  I'll  bet  'twas  Sing  Wung!"  muttered 
Kirke,    as    he    mounted    the    wagon.       "He 

D 


34  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

killed  Shot.  Got  mad  with  him  and  killed 
him,  and  then  saved  his  collar.  He  thought 
he  could  get  money  for  it." 

"Has  somebody  killed  Shot?"  piped  half- 
dressed  Weezy,  screening  herself  from  view 
behind  her  sister.  "Oh,  dear,  dear!  Poor 
little  Shot!" 

"Deah,  deah,  poo'  'ittle  S'ot!"  echoed 
Don,  running  to  the  casement  in  his  ruffled 
white  night-dress,  and  standing  there  quite 
unabashed. 

"Such  a  sweet,  lovely  little  dog  as  he 
was ! "  went  on  Weezy,  in  a  tearful  voice. 
"Just  as  white  and  good  as  he  could  be; 
S'pose  he's  got  up  to  heaven  yet,  Kirke?" 

"  The  idea,  Weezy ! "  Kirke's  tone  was  at 
once  grieved  and  scornful.  "Who  ever  heard 
of  a  fox-terrier's  going  to  heaven?" 

"Don't  good  little  fox-terriers  go  to 
heaven  ?  Nobody  ever  told  me  that  before," 
sighed    Weezy,    as     Paul    turned    the    mules 


WHO    WAS   THE    THIEF?  35 

toward  Chinatown.  "0  Kirke,  don't  you 
wish  Shot  had  been  a  good  little  skye-terrier 
'stead  of  a  fox?  He  would  have  gone  to 
heaven  then,  you  know !  " 

"It's  no  sign  Shot  is  dead,  Weezy,  dear, 
because  he  just  happened  to  lose  his  collar," 
cried  Pauline,  stepping  back  from  the  wheel 
with  a  smothered  laugh.  "  He'll  come  trot- 
ting home,  wagging  his  tail,  one  of  these 
days,  you'll  see !  " 

It  was  like  Pauline  to  prophesy  pleasant 
things.  She  was  always  hopeful,  always 
cheerful.  They  called  her  the  merriest  mem- 
ber of  The  Happy  Six. 

"Yes,  Polly,  and  you'll  see,  too,"  was 
Kirke' s  gloomy  rejoinder.  "  Good-by,  every- 
body." 

"Good-by,  Sobersides,"  retorted  Pauline, 
brushing  her  sleeves,  which  had  rested  upon 
the  dusty  tire.  "  Good-by,  Twinny,  love,  I'll  be 
happy  to  meet  you  later  in  Europe,  both  of  you." 


36  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

Kirke  hardly  smiled  at  this  nonsensical 
farewell.  He  cared  very  little  just  now  about 
Europe,  or  any  other  foreign  country.  He 
could  only  think  of  Shot's  collar  found  in 
the  hedge.  Somebody  had  hidden  it  there; 
and  in  his  heart  Kirke  convicted  Sing  Wung. 

"That  collar  was  expensive,  you  know, 
Paul,"  he  broke  forth,  before  they  had 
reached  the  first  corner.  "  He  was  going  to 
sell  it  at  one  of  the  second-hand  stores." 

"  How  could  he  have  sold  it  ?  That  would 
have  given  him  away,  Kirke.  Shot's  name 
is  on  it." 

"Poh!  couldn't  the  villain  have  ripped  off 
that  plate?" 

"  Not  very  easily.  Besides,  Kirke,  if  Sing 
Wung  really  meant  to  sell  the  collar,  why 
didn't  he  carry  it  home  with  him  yesterday  ? " 

"Perhaps  he  couldn't  screw  his  courage  up. 
He  might  have  been  afraid  of  getting  caught 
taking  it." 


WHO    WAS   THE   THIEF?  $7 

Though  by  nature  unsuspicious,  Kirke  was 
a  boy  of  strong  prejudices.  Since  making 
up  his  mind  that  the  Chinaman  was  guilty  of 
a  crime,  he  could  no  longer  tolerate  him. 

"  But  how  are  we  going  to  prove  that  Sing 
Wung  put  the  collar  in  the  hedge?"  asked 
Paul  earnestly.  "  Mr.  Keith  says  it  isn't  fair 
to  condemn  anybody  on  circumstantial  evi- 
dence." 

"  Fudge !  What  more  evidence  does  he 
want?  Didn't  we  both  see  Sing  Wung  ston- 
ing my  Shot  ?  And  has  anybody  set  eyes  on 
my  Shot  from  that  day  to  this  ? " 

"No,"  said  Paul,  "it  does  look  dark  against 
Sing  Wung,  I  confess,  and  I'm  just  as  mad  with 
him  as  you  are." 

"I  shouldn't  think  Mr.  Keith  would  keep 
such  a  sneak.  He  ought  to  discharge  him, 
and  I've  a  great  mind  to  tell  him  so,"  returned 
Kirke,  as  if  his  opinion  and  advice  would  carry 
great  weight  with  that  gentleman. 


38  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"Oh,  he  can't  discharge  him  now,  Kirke! 
How  can  he,  right  in  the  height  of  the  barley- 
harvest  ? " 

"  He  can  hire  somebody  else." 

"No,  he  can't  for  love  or  money.  The 
Mexicans  and  Chinamen  are  all  engaged  for 
the  season  by  this  time.  Besides,  there's  the 
well  not  half  done." 

Kirke  bit  his  lip.  He  knew  that  this  well 
was  needed  at  once.  He  had  seen  for  him- 
self how  Mr.  Keith's  young  orange-trees  were 
turning  yellow  for  want  of  proper  irrigation. 
As  they  approached  the  Chinese  quarter  of 
the  city,  he  broke  the  silence  by  remarking 
grimly,  — 

"  I  sha'n't  speak  to  Sing  Wung.  I  want 
him  to  know  I  suspect  him." 

"  Do  you  suppose  he'll  take  the  cue  ?  "  asked 
Paul,  attempting  his  sister's  trick  of  punning. 

Sing  Wung  was  waiting  for  them  at  the  door 
of  his  whitewashed  cabin.     He  was  dressed  as 


WHO    WAS   THE    THIEF?  39 

usual  in  loose  blue  trousers  and  a  frock  of 
lighter  blue  denim,  his  long  cue  wound  about 
his  head  in  a  coil  and  tied  with  narrow,  indigo- 
colored  ribbon. 

"  He  has  the  blues  awfully,  hasn't  he  ? " 
whispered  Kirke,  not  to  be  outdone  by  Paul  in 
the  play  upon  words. 

"  One  of  his  relatives  must  have  died,"  was 
Paul's  low  answer  as  he  drew  in  the  reins. 
"  I've  heard  that  the  Chinese  wear  blue  ribbon 
on  their  hair  for  mourning." 

"  If  he's  mourning  for  my  dog,  it  looks  well 
in  him,"  mused  Shot's  bereaved  master;  and 
to  emphasize  his  indignation  Kirke  turned 
away  his  head  while  Sing  Wung  climbed  to 
the  back  seat  of  the  wagon. 

Paul  cracked  the  whip,  and  the  grotesque 
little  mules  trotted  on,  flapping  their  broad 
ears  at  every  step,  as  if  they  considered  them 
wings  and  were  preparing  to  fly. 

"The   grass    is    getting    brown,"    remarked 


40  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

Paul,  when  they  had  left  the  city  behind  them, 
"  as  brown  as  hay.  And  phew  !  isn't  the  road 
dusty ! " 

"Sneezing  dusty,"  answered  Kirke;  "I  don't 
believe  the  people  that  live  in  that  shanty  over 
yonder  have  to  spend   any  money  for   snuff." 

As  he  spoke  he  pointed  to  a  wretched  hut 
a  little  removed  from  the  highway,  and  entirely 
surrounded  by  dirt. 

"  Mateo  lives  there,"  said  Paul  carelessly. 

" Who's  Mateo?" 

"  Mateo  ?  Oh,  he's  a  lazy,  no-account  Indian, 
who  helps  sometimes  on  the  ranch." 

"  I  wonder  if  he  isn't  the  fellow  that  mended 
our  thill  for  us  the  other  day  ?  "  mused  Kirke. 
"  We  broke  down  somewhere  near  here.  How 
does  he  look  ?     Is  he  fat  ? " 

"Fat  as  butter.  He  ought  to  be,  you 
know,   considering   they   call    him   a  greaser." 

Kirke  giggled,  and  Paul  looked  highly  grati- 
fied   at    the    success    of    his    witticism.       He 


WHO    WAS   THE    THIEF?  4 1 

thought  he  might  get  up  quite  a  reputation 
as  a  humorist,  if  Pauline  didn't  always  say 
the  funny  things  before  he  had  a  chance. 
He  was  glad  to  feel  that  he  was  entertaining 
Kirke :  he  couldn't  bear  to  see  the  boy  so 
downhearted. 

The  mules  were  frisky  that  morning,  and 
reached  the  end  of  the  journey  in  excellent 
season. 

"  Heap  soon ! "  grinned  Sing  Wung,  as  he 
alighted  upon  the  ground,  apparently  not  at 
all  disturbed  because  Kirke  had  taken  no 
notice  of  him  whatever. 

"  Oh,  you  can  laugh,  can  you  ? "  thought 
Kirke,  hopping  down  over  the  opposite  wheel. 
"You  ought  to  be  howling,  you  dog-mur- 
derer ! " 

"You're  early,  Sing  Wung,"  said  Mr.  Keith, 
who  had  come  out  to  shake  hands  with  the 
boys.     "You've  got  ahead  of  Yeck  Wo." 

"  Hasn't  Yeck  Wo  come  yet  ? "  asked  Paul 


42  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

quickly.      "You    don't    suppose    the    man  is 
sick  again,  do  you,  Mr.  Keith  ? " 
"I'm  beginning  to  fear  it,  Paul." 
"If   he  is,  what's  to  be  done,  Mr.  Keith?" 
Paul    still    stood    by    the    wagon,    reins    in 
hand.     He  was   very  much   interested   in   the 
progress  of  the  well,  and  wanted  the  digging 
to   go  on,   since   Kirke  had  come  on  purpose 
to  watch  it. 

"Sha'n't  I  go  for  Mateo,  Mr.  Keith?" 
"  No,  Paul,  thank  you,  not  quite  yet.  I 
don't  want  Mateo  as  long  as  there's  any  hope 
of  Yeck  Wo.  But  if  Yeck  Wo  doesn't  come, 
I  may  ask  you  later  to  go  for  Mateo.  We'll 
tie  the  mules  here  under  the  pepper-tree  to 
have  them  handy." 

"  No  workee  ? "  asked  Sing  Wung,  not  quite 
understanding  what  was  said. 

"Yes,  yes,  Sing  Wung,  you  can  go  right 
to  work  here,"  said  Mr.  Keith,  leading  the 
way  to  the   new  well.     "  Come  boys,    please, 


WHO    WAS   THE   THIEF?  43 

and  help  me  lower  him  down  in  the  bucket. 
He  must  go  to  digging." 

The  boys  sprang  forward  with  alacrity,  feel- 
ing that  now  the  fun  had  fairly  begun. 


44  THE  HAPPY  SIX 


CHAPTER   IV 


KIRKE  S   BRAVE   DEED 


Swinging  his  limber  arms,  the  little  blue 
clad  Chinaman  scuffed  behind  Mr.  Keith  and 
the  boys  to  the  mouth  of  the  unfinished  well. 
Over  this  stood  the  temporary  windlass,  its 
huge  bucket  swaying  to  and  fro  above  the 
dizzy  hollow. 

Kirke  noticed  that  this  hollow  was  deeper 
than  when  he  had  seen  it  last,  and  the  mound 
of  loose  earth  near  it  was  considerably  higher. 

Mr.  Keith  and  the  two  boys  held  the  crank 
of  the  windlass  with  an  iron  grip  while  Sing 
Wung  stepped  inside  the  bucket;  then  turn- 
ing the  handle  slowly  backward,  they  lowered 
him  deeper  and  deeper  till  he  had  reached 
the  bottom  of  the  dim-yawning  cave. 


KIRKE' S  BRAVE  DEED  45 

"  I  told  Captain  Bradstreet  I'd  like  to 
dump  Sing  Wung  into  this  well,  and  I've 
done  it,"  said  Kirke  aside  to  Paul. 

"  The  slant-eyed  old  villain  doesn't  weigh 
much  more  than  your  little  Shot,"  responded 
Paul,  bending  over  the  dusky  abyss. 

By  this  time  the  Chinaman  had  scrambled 
out  of  his  novel  elevator  and  was  throwing 
into  it  great  spadefuls  of  dirt. 

Mr.  Keith  looked  at  his  watch.  "  I  begin 
to  think  Yeck  Wo  isn't  coming.  If  he  lived 
anywhere  near,  I'd  send  to  inquire." 

At  that  moment  Sing  Wung  piped  shrilly 
from  beneath  their  feet. 

"Heap  muchee!  Pullee !  Pullee!" 

Kirke  sprang  to  the  windlass,  crying, 
"Lend  a  hand,  Paul.  You  and  I  together 
can  hoist  the  bucket." 

"You're  very  kind,  boys,"  said  Mr.  Keith 
gratefully,  as  he  assisted  them  in  emptying 
the  dirt.     "We'll  take  turns    at   this   business 


46  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

for  a  little  while,  if  you're  willing.  Yeck 
Wo  may  soon  be  here.  He's  worth  two 
Mateos." 

For  a  half  hour  the  work  went  on  briskly, 
Sing  Wung  in  the  depths  below  filling  the 
bucket,  and  Mr.  Keith  and  his  young  aids 
above  ground  hauling  it  to  the  surface  and 
there  dumping  its  contents. 

Then  suddenly  was  heard  a  sharp,  metallic 
sound,  —  the  scraping  of  the  Chinaman's 
spade  against  a  rock. 

"He's  struck  hard  pan,"  shouted  the  ex- 
cited lads  in  a  breath.  "Hurrah!  Hurrah! 
Sing  Wung  has  struck  hard  pan." 

"You're  right,  boys,  I  believe  you're 
right,"  cried  Mr.  Keith,  hardly  less  excited 
than  they.  "  Next  thing  we  may  come  to 
water." 

"Are  you  going  to  blast  now,  Mr.  Keith? 
Shall  I  bring  you  the  drills  and  hammer  ? " 
asked  Paul  eagerly. 


KIRKE'S  BRAVE  DEED  47 

"Yes,  Paul,  if  you  please,  and  a  stick  of 
giant  powder  and  the  caps  and  that  coil  of 
fuse." 

After  these  articles  had  been  dropped  into 
the  well,  Sing  Wung  began  the  process  of 
drilling,  using  the  shortest  drill  first,  and 
longer  and  longer  ones  as  he  pierced  farther 
and  farther  into  the  hard  pan.  He  worked 
quickly,  turning  the  pointed  steel  instrument 
a  little  with  his  left  hand  each  time  he  struck 
its  blunt  top  with  the  hammer. 

Having  assured  himself  of  the  Chinaman's 
skill,  Mr.  Keith  soon  shouted  to  him,  "  Call 
me  as  soon  as  the  hole  is  three  feet  deep," 
and  followed  by  the  boys  walked  away  for  a 
drink  of  cool  water  from  the  Mexican  olla 
on  the  veranda. 

"It  will  take  the  man  two  hours  at  the 
least,"  he  remarked,  as  he  reached  for  the 
gourd,  "and  perhaps  half  a  day.  There  is 
nothing  yet  for  Mateo  to  do." 


48  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

In  about  two  hours  and  a  half  they  were 
summoned  by  the  sharp  voice  of  Sing  Wung. 
He  had  finished  the  drilling  and  awaited 
further  instructions. 

"The  next  thing  to  do,  Sing  Wung,  is  to 
fit  one  of  those  percussion  caps  to  the  end 
of  the  fuse,"  cried  Mr.  Keith,  when  he  had 
reached  the  surface  of  the  well. 

"Yah!"  growled  Sing  Wung,  like  an  im- 
prisoned bear  beneath. 

"  Well,  now  tie  the  fuse  into  the  paper 
wrapped  around  the  stick  of  powder.  Do 
you  hear  ? " 

"  Yah  !  "  louder  than  before. 

"A  half  stick  of  the  giant  powder  will  be 
enough.  Then  drop  the  powder,  cap,  and  fuse 
into  the  hole,  and  press  down  with  a  lot  of 
dry  earth.     Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  No  tellee !  Makee  holee  all  samee,"  mut- 
tered the  Chinaman  sulkily.  Had  he  not 
blasted  hard  pan  before  ? 


KIRKE'S  BRAVE  DEED  49 

"Then  cut  off  the  fuse  about  four  feet 
from  the  hole,  Sing  Wung." 

They  heard  the  Chinaman  yawn  noisily,  as 
if  to  say,  "  Melican  man  muchee  talkee " ; 
but  Mr.  Keith  continued,  undaunted, — 

"  And  when  everything  is  ready,  Sing 
Wung,  set  fire  to  the  end  of  the  fuse  and 
jump  into  the  bucket.  We'll  pull  you  up  in 
a  hurry." 

"  Allee  yight !  " 

Sing  Wung  understood  perfectly.  He  was 
already  cutting  in  two  a  stick  of  giant  powder. 
In  a  short  time  he  had  buried  this,  as  di- 
rected, lighted  the  fuse,  and  been  drawn  up 
out  of  the  well. 

The  four  ran  to  a  safe  distance,  and  two 
minutes  later  came  a  loud  explosion.  Sing 
Wung,  after  the  dust  and  smoke  had  cleared 
away,  was  again  let  down  to  his  work.  He 
carried  in  his  arms  a  can  of  black  gun- 
powder. 


50  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"If  Mateo  were  here  to  lower  me,  I'd  go 
down  myself  to  see  the  size  of  the  chamber 
made  in  the  rock,"  said  Mr.  Keith.  "I  don't 
know  about  trusting  Sing  Wung's  judgment 
in  regard  to  the  amount  of  powder  to  use." 

"  Kirke  and  I  can  let  you  down,  Mr. 
Keith,"  volunteered  Paul  promptly. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  rejoined  Kirke.  "  I  can  lift 
as  much  as  Paul  can." 

"I  know  you're  strong  for  your  age,  Kirke, 
but  I  weigh  over  two  hundred  pounds.  I'm 
afraid  you  boys  might  let  me  down  in  too 
great  a  hurry." 

"  No,  no,  Mr,  Keith,  we'll  promise  not  to 
drop  you." 

Nevertheless,  after  the  gentleman,  against 
his  better  judgment,  had  been  prevailed  upon 
to  enter  the  bucket,  he  looked  so  overgrown 
in  it  —  like  an  oak-tree  in  a  tub  —  that  the  boys 
could  hardly  manage  the  windlass  for  laughing. 

Landed  at  last  in  safety  upon  the  bed-rock, 


KIRKE'S  BRAVE  DEED  5 1 

Mr.  Keith  found  that  the  hole  drilled  by  the 
Chinaman  had  been  enlarged  by  the  giant 
powder  to  the  size  of  a  great  kettle.  Into 
this  hole  he  poured  about  four  quarts  of 
black  gunpowder  and  inserted  the  end  of  a 
fresh  fuse.  Finally  he  filled  the  rest  of  the 
cavity  with  fine  dry  earth  and  "tamped"  this 
down  very  firmly. 

"  I've  put  in  a  heavy  charge,  Sing  Wung," 
he  said,  as  he  turned  from  the  man  and 
stepped  back  into  the  bucket.  "After  you've 
lighted  the  fuse,  you  must  run  for  your  life. 
You  mustn't  go  to  sleep." 

"  All  yightee,  no  sleepee ! "  responded  the 
Chinaman,  who,  notwithstanding  his  oblique 
eyes,  could  sometimes  see  a  joke. 

"The  Chinese  ought  to  understand  gun- 
powder, considering  that  they  invented  it," 
remarked  Mr.  Keith,  as  he  emerged  into  the 
upper  air.  "  I  hope  I  sha'n't  have  to  go 
underground  again  to  teach  Sing  Wung." 


52  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

The  boys  secretly  echoed  this  hope,  hav- 
ing found  their  host's  weight  a  severe  strain 
to  their  muscles. 

That  this  weight  had  been  also  a  severe 
strain  upon  the  rope  —  not  a  new  one  —  had 
not  occurred  to  them  or  to  Mr.  Keith,  or, 
indeed,  to  Sing  Wung  himself. 

"  It  is  evident  that  Yeck  Wo  is  not  coming," 
said  Mr.  Keith  again,  consulting  his  watch. 
"After  this  next  explosion  there  will  be  a 
great  deal  of  hard  pan  to  be  hoisted  out,  and 
we  must  have  Mateo  to  help  us.  If  you'll 
bring  him,  Paul,  I'll  be  much  obliged." 

Paul  went,  and  was  away  some  time.  Be- 
fore his  return  Sing  Wung  had  finished  drill- 
ing the  hole  in  the  rock  and  begun  to  put  in 
the  charge.  Mr.  Keith  and  Kirke  had  let  the 
bucket  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  well  and 
stood  ready  to  turn  the  windlass  at  a  second's 
notice. 

Suddenly    a   faint   light    glimmered    in    the 


KIRKE'S  BRAVE  DEED  53 

darkness  below,  and  the  Chinaman  leaped  into 
the  bucket  yelling, — 

"Pullee!  Pullee!" 

He  had  just  ignited  the  fuse,  and  as  the 
flame  crept  slowly  along  its  tube  the  gunpowder 
interwoven  in  its  fibres  gave  out  a  quick  succes- 
sion of  snapping  sounds. 

"  Hold  on,  Sing  Wung,  we'll  pull  you  out 
in  no  time!"  Mr.  Keith  shouted  back;  and  he 
and  Kirke  turned  the  crank  with  a  will. 

But,  alas !  at  the  second  revolution  of  the 
windlass  the  rope  broke,  dropping  the  bucket 
and  its  living  freight  back  into  the  well! 

Half-crazed  by  the  accident,  Sing  Wung 
struggled  to  his  knees  with  a  piercing  cry, 
and  glared  at  the  fire  which  drew  every  mo- 
ment nearer,  hissing  and  crackling. 

"  Step  on  it !  Put  it  out,  man !  Quick, 
quick!  are  you  crazy?"  shrieked  Mr.  Keith, 
leaning  down  into  the  well  at  the  risk  of  los- 
ing his  balance. 


54  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

The  unfortunate  wretch  was  so  paralyzed 
with  fright  that  he  seemed  powerless  to  obey. 
He  could  only  cower  upon  the  rocks  below, 
muttering  and  mumbling. 

"  Good  heavens,  Kirke,  he'll  be  blown  to 
inch-pieces !  Where  are  his  wits  ? "  ejaculated 
Mr.  Keith,  rushing  to  the  porch  for  the  olla 
in  the  frantic  hope  of  quenching  the  spark 
with  water.     To  his  dismay  the  jar  was  empty. 

Kirke,  left  to  his  own  devices,  roared  to 
Sing  Wung,  "Try  to  catch  hold  of  the  rope! 
Hang  on  to  it !     I'll  draw  you  up  !  " 

But  the  frenzied  creature  never  raised  his 
eyes  from  that  fascinating  spark  creeping, 
creeping  toward  the  little  mine  of  powder. 

"Thunder  and  lightning,  what  ails  him? 
I  must  save  him  if  I  can,"  thought  Kirke, 
hastily  making  fast  the  windlass  by  tying  down 
the  handle. 

Never  pausing  to  consider  the  risk  he  was 
taking,  he  grasped  the  dangling  rope  and  slid 


KIRKE'S  BRAVE  DEED  55 

down  upon  it,  hand  over  hand,  toward  the  burn- 
ing fuse.  Should  he  be  in  season  to  smother 
it?     Ah,  that  was  the  question. 

When  he  sprang  from  the  end  of  the  rope 
to  a  foothold  upon  the  rock  beside  Sing  Wung, 
the  advancing  flame  was  scarcely  a  finger's 
length  from  the  buried  powder.  Even  then 
help  might  be  too  late. 

With  his  heart  in  his  throat,  the  lad  dashed 
forward  and  planted  his  foot  upon  the  spark. 
Oh,  joy!  it  was  soon  extinguished!  He  had 
saved  the  life  of  Sing  Wung! 

Little  cared  Kirke  at  that  moment  for  dizzy 
head  or  blistered  hands.  Even  his  late  hatred 
of  the  suspected  Chinaman  was  quite  over- 
weighed  by  the  intense  satisfaction  of  having 
been  the  means  of  his  rescue. 

How  Sing  Wung,  speedily  rallying  from 
his  nervous  shock,  deftly  spliced  the  severed 
rope ;  and  how  he  and  his  deliverer,  one  after 
the     other,    were    lifted    from    their     gloomy 


56  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

quarters,  will  always  remain  to  Kirke  Rowe 
a  blurred  memory,  for  he  had  hardly  returned 
to  the  sunlight  before  he  fainted. 

A  dash  of  cold  water  restored  him  to  con- 
sciousness, and  he  opened  his  eyes  to  find 
himself  extended  full  length  upon  the  lawn, 
and  Mr.  Keith  and  Paul  bending  anxiously 
over  him.  There  were  tears  in  both  pairs  of 
eyes,  and  Mr.  Keith  was  saying  in  broken 
tones,  — 

"  God  bless  the  noble  boy !  " 

And  what  more  did  Kirke  see?  What  was 
that  white  object  nestling  lovingly  against  his 
breast,  now  lapping  his  cold  cheek,  now 
barking  for  joy  ?  Was  it,  —  he  could  hardly 
believe  his  own  senses,  —  yes,  surely,  that 
was  Shot,  his  dear  lamented  terrier! 

"Why,  Shot,  you  blessed  good  little  dog, 
where  have  you  been  ? "  he  exclaimed,  start- 
ing up,  all  alive  with  happiness.  "Why, 
Shot,  where  have  you  been  ? " 


KIRKE'S  BRAVE  DEED  57 

"  He  go  heap  far !  Indian  sabe  !  "  said  Sing 
Wung,  who  was  squatting  on  his  heels  at 
Kirke's  feet,  and  had  been  fanning  him  with 
a  green  palm  leaf. 

" Indian?     What  Indian?" 

"  He  means  Mateo,"  interposed  Paul. 
"Mateo  was  the  thief;  he  stole  Shot,  and 
now  he  pretends  he  didn't.  He  tries  to 
make  it  out  that  Shot  strayed  to  his  house, 
and  that  he  tied  him  there  to  keep  him  safe 
for  his  master." 

"  Keep  him  safe !  As  if  my  bright  little 
dog  wouldn't  have  known  enough  to  go 
home,  if  he  had  let  him  alone !  I  don't  be- 
lieve one  word  of  that  old  Indian's  story." 

"  Neither  do  I,"  said  Paul.  "  We  all  know 
better,  and  we  told  him  so.  See  how  his 
rope  has  worn  the  hair  from  Shot's  neck." 

"  What  a  shame  !  But  there,  I  won't  fret. 
I  have  my  little  terrier  back  again,  alive  and 
well,"  murmured  happy  Kirke. 


58  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

But  he  felt  a  pang  of  remorse,  as  he 
looked  at  Sing  Wung,  and  met  that  China- 
man's eyes  fixed  upon  him  with  a  glance  of 
the  deepest  devotion. 

"Melican  boy  muchee  good,"  said  the  poor 
fellow,  brokenly.  "  No  makee  fizzee,  fizzee ! 
Sing  Wung  no  burnee !  " 

"  I  haven't  been  so  good  to  you  as  you 
think  I  have,  Sing  Wung,"  said  honest 
Kirke.  "  But  I  did  put  out  the  fuse.  I'm 
no  end  thankful  for  that!" 

Still  the  Chinaman  lingered,  struggling  in 
vain  for  words  to  tell  his  feelings. 

"  Heap  glad  doggee  no  killee,"  said  he,  at 
last,  pointing  his  hook-nailed  forefinger  at 
Shot,  who  was  at  a  safe  distance  from  him. 
"  Heap  glad  Melican  boy  no  lose  doggee !  " 

And  detesting  as  he  did  the  whole  canine 
species,  how  could  the  simple  Celestial  have 
said  anything  to  give  stronger  proof  of  his 
gratitude  to  Kirke? 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  59 


CHAPTER  V 


OFF    FOR    NEW    YORK 


"  Seems  's  if  Europe  time  wouldn't  ever,  ever 
come,"  complained  Weezy  again  and  again. 
For  it  was  settled  now  that  they  were  to  go 
in  June  at  the  beginning  of  the  summer  vaca- 
tion. 

The  golf  cape  for  the  bisque  Aramenta 
had  long  been  finished,  and  Weezy  having 
nothing  in  particular  to  do  spent  hours  in 
watching  the  hands  of  the  clock. 

"  They  go  creep,  creep,  creepmouse,  just 
as  slow  as  ever  they  can,"  she  said  to  Kirke 
one  morning.  "Can't  you  put  some  of  that 
oil  on  them  ?  I  'spect  that  would  make  them 
turn  'round  quicker." 

Kirke  was  in  the  yard  cleaning  his  wheel, 


60  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

and  Weezy  on  the  doorstep  dividing  her  at- 
tention between  him  and  the  hall  clock  behind 
her. 

"  Don't  look  at  the  hands  for  five  minutes, 
Weezy.  See  if  that  doesn't  make  them 
travel  faster,"  returned  Kirke,  setting  down 
his  little  oil-can  with  a  knowing  smile.  "How 
would  you  like  it  yourself  to  have  anybody 
staring  at  you  every  second  ? " 

Weezy  laughed.  It  was  pleasant  to  have 
Kirke  at  home  again.  For  weeks  he  had 
spent  half  his  time  out  of  school  hours  at 
the  ranch,  for  of  course  he  must  see  that 
well  finished.  After  quite  a  long  illness,  Yeck 
Wo  had  recovered  and  come  to  the  aid  of 
Sing  Wung,  who  could  drill  hard  pan  well 
enough,  but  would  not  light  another  fuse. 

"It  will  never  do  to  trust  Sing  Wung  with 
gunpowder  again,"  Mr.  Keith  had  said  in 
confidence  to  the  boys;  "he  is  too  excitable, 
he  loses  his  head." 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  6 1 

From  first  to  last  the  sinking  of  the  well 
had  caused  Mr.  Keith  great  anxiety,  and  it 
was  a  matter  of  rejoicing  to  him  that  the 
explosions  were  now  safely  over  and  the 
hard  pan  penetrated  to  a  copious  supply  of 
water  beneath. 

"  Shot  stares  at  me  and  stares  at  me,  and 
barks  for  nothing ;  but  I  don't  mind,"  said 
Weezy,  stroking  the  little  terrier  as  he  frisked 
up  to  her  to  be  petted. 

Kirke  smiled  approvingly.  Shot  was,  in- 
deed, a  privileged  character  in  these  days  and 
received  few  rebukes.  He  might  even  have 
been  allowed  to  accompany  his  master  to  the 
Old  World  had  not  Captain  Bradstreet  looked 
upon  the  proposal  with  disfavor.  Dogs  were 
a  nuisance  in  travelling,  he  said.  They  were 
a  trouble  and  an  expense,  and  always  liable 
to  get  lost  or  stolen. 

This  settled  it,  and  after  mature  reflection 
Kirke    arranged    to    leave    his    dog    and    his 


62  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

burro  with  Manuel  Carillo,  a  humble  Spanish 
boy  whom  he  liked  very  much.  Manuel  was 
fond  of  animals  and  would  be  kind  to  these, 
Kirke  felt  sure. 

Kirke  and  Molly  made  numerous  calls  in 
the  next  few  weeks,  remarking  to  their 
friends,  — 

"  We  came  to  bid  you  good-by  before  we  sail 
for   Europe." 

And  everybody  said,  "  Oh,  how  I  wish  I 
were  going  too !  " 

Vacation  came  at  last,  and  with  it  the  long- 
looked-for  day  of  departure.  The  party  was 
to  go  by  rail  to  New  York,  and  after  resting 
in  that  city  a  week  take  the  steamer  for 
Havre,  France. 

In  New  York  the  Rowes  were  to  visit 
Mrs.  Tracey,  Mrs.  Rowe's  sister,  and  she 
had  promised  to  provide  a  nurse-girl  to  go 
to  Europe  with  them  and  assume  the  care 
of  little  Donald. 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  63 

It  was  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
the  travellers  arrived  at  the  railway  station  at 
Silver  Gate  City.  Captain  Bradstreet  and  Mr. 
Rowe  checked  the  baggage,  while  Mrs.  Rowe 
entered  the  car  followed  by  The  Happy  Six. 

"  I've  seen  a  worse-looking  half-dozen  be- 
fore now,  Mr.  Rowe,"  whispered  the  captain, 
looking  after  the  children  with  a  proud  smile. 

"  But  never  a  merrier  one,  I'll  warrant, 
Captain,"  returned  Mr.  Rowe,  his  eyes  fixed 
on  bright-eyed  Weezy,  who  led  the  procession. 

At  her  heels  strutted  little  Donald  in  his 
first  sailor-suit.  Then  came  flaxen-haired  Paul 
and  his  brunette  sister,  and  behind  them 
fair,  freckled  Molly  and  brown,  wide-a-wake 
Kirke. 

After  they  were  all  seated  and  the  car  had 
begun  to  move,  Molly  gave  a  deep  sigh  of 
satisfaction. 

"  We've  started  on  our  travels,  Polly,  do 
you  know  it  ? "   she  said  with  a  playful  pinch 


64  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

of  her  friend's  arm.  "  Doesn't  it  seem  too 
good  to  be  true  ?  " 

That  first  day's  ride  was  bliss  to  The  Happy- 
Six.  They  entertained  themselves  by  gazing 
from  the  car  window,  telling  stories  and  get- 
ting acquainted  with  some  young  girls  bound 
for  Chicago. 

But  when  at  the  approach  of  night  the 
colored  porter  came  to  make  up  the  sleep- 
ing-berths, Donald  cried  for  his  own  little 
"cribby,"  and  objected  to  going  to  bed  in  "a 
cupboard  with  a  curtain  to  it." 

"  'Tisn't  a  cupboard,  it's  a  berth,  you  dear 
little  niggeramus"  explained  Weezy;  and  when 
the  others  laughed  at  the  miscalled  word,  she 
thought  they  were  laughing  at  Donald. 

The  little  maid  was  drowsy  herself  by  this 
time,  and  quite  willing  to  be  helped  to  her 
own  berth  above  that  of  her  little  brother, 
where  she  undressed  behind  the  swaying  dra- 
peries, grumbling  in  an  undertone  because  the 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  65 

train  wouldn't  stop  jolting  while  she  put  on 
her  pink  "slumber-wrapper."  She  awoke  next 
morning  grumbling  at  the  heat  of  the  car. 

Kirke  was  dressed  and  stood  waiting  to 
take  her  down  in  his  arms. 

"Yes,  it's  warm,  but  what  are  you  going  to 
do  about  it,  Miss  ?  We're  crossing  the  desert, 
you  see,  and  didn't  think  to  take  along  any 
good   cool    air   for   you   to   breathe." 

"  Kirke,  Kirke,  no  teasing,"  said  the  mother 
from  her  seat  in  front  of  them  where  she  sat  with 
her  bonnet  on,  entertaining  Donald.  "  Weezy 
means  to  be  a  good  girl  to-day,  I  hope,  and  not 
to  fret  at  what  can't  be  helped." 

"  But  I'm  so  sticky,  mamma,  and  so  dusty," 
murmured  the  little  girl  when  she  stood  upon 
the  floor. 

"Yes,  dear,  so  was  I  before  I  bathed. 
Look  at  Kirke." 

After  one  glance,  Weezy  forgot  her  griev- 
ances and  laughed  outright,  for  dark  rings  of 


66  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

dirt  had  settled  under  her  brother's  eyes  and 
a  speck  of  soot  upon  the  tip  of  his  nose. 

"The  rest  of  us  are  ready  for  breakfast, 
Kirke,  and  you  must  hurry  to  make  yourself 
presentable.  The  conductor  says  we  eat  at 
the  next  station." 

Concealing  his  grimy  face  behind  his  pocket- 
handkerchief,  Kirke  rushed  past  the  seated 
passengers  to  the  men's  toilet-room,  while 
Weezy  hastened  to  that  of  the  women,  where 
Molly  assisted  her  in  dressing.  To  comb 
Weezy's  fine,  fluffy  hair  was  never  an  easy 
task,  as  she  seldom  stood  still  half  a  minute 
at  a  time.  To-day  it  was  peculiarly  trying, 
because  the  motion  of  the  train  jolted  her 
about  even  when  she  would  have  been 
quiet. 

"  Oh,  oh,  Molly,  you  are  most  pulling  my  head 
off ! "  she  wailed,  at  a  sudden  lurch  of  the  car 
that  tangled  her  ringlets  into  the  comb. 

Whereupon,  Molly  nervously  set  about  re* 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  67 

pairing  the  mischief,  declaring  she  was  sorry, 
and  hadn't  meant  to  hurt  Weezy. 

Which  of  the  sisters  suffered  the  more  be- 
fore the  toilet  was  made,  it  were  difficult  to 
tell ;  but  I  rather  think  it  was  Molly ;  and  I 
suspect  that  Molly  told  Pauline  she  did  "  hope 
the  nurse  girl  from  New  York  would  take  it 
upon   herself   to   attend   to   that   child's  hair." 

However,  by  dint  of  haste,  Weezy  was 
dressed  at  last,  and  on  the  arrival  of  the 
train  at  the  breakfast-station  the  whole  party 
went  out  to  the  dining-room  and  made  a 
hurried  meal. 

"They  are  to  put  on  a  dining-car  at  noon, 
I'm  happy  to  say,  and  we  shall  have  our 
dinner  on  the  train,"  remarked  Mr.  Rowe. 
"  I  dislike  this  rapid  eating." 

It  was  a  nice  dinner,  well  served,  and  The 
Happy  Six  enjoyed  it  immensely.  They 
supped  that  night  from  their  luncheon-basket 
and  called  it   a   picnic.      They  had   adjoining 


68  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

tables  by  themselves,  and  the  three  parents 
were  at  a  table  farther  down  the  aisle.  They 
were  now  beyond  the  desert,  at  Laguna,  where 
the  train  had  been  delayed  for  some  hours  by 
an  accident  to  the  engine. 

From  the  window  at  which  Paul  was  seated 
they  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  Indian  city  with 
its  clustering  adobe  houses  and  brown  church 
surmounted  by  a  cross. 

"  Not  much  of  a  city,"  commented  Paul, 
opening  a  box  of  sardines.  "  It  looks  more 
like  a  village,  a  tiny,  half-grown  one  into  the 
bargain." 

"  But  for  all  that,  papa  says  it  holds  thou- 
sands of  Indians,  just  thousands!"  said  Kirke. 
"They  must  be  packed  snug,  like  those  little 
fishes." 

"They'd  pack  better  if  they  were  longer 
lengthwise  and  shorter  widthwise,"  laughed 
Paul,  glancing  at  a  group  of  thick-set  Indians 
parading  along  the  track. 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  69 

"Why  are  those  red  men  like  heavy  bis- 
cuits?" asked  Pauline,  helping  Donald  to 
orange  marmalade. 

"  Because  they're  ill-bred,"  responded  her 
brother.     Pauline  shook  her  head. 

"  I  know  why  they're  like  heavy  biscuits," 
exclaimed  Weezy  confidently.  "  Because  you 
can't  eat  'em." 

"Very  bright,  little  Miss  Weezy,  but  not 
the  answer,"  returned  Pauline  amid  general 
merriment.  "  Kirke,  you  haven't  guessed. 
Tell  me  this  minute  why  those  Indians  are 
like  heavy  biscuits?" 

"  Because  "  —  Kirke  thoughtfully  squeezed 
lemon  juice  upon  his  sardine  —  "because 
every  one  of  them  is  good  for  a  shot." 

"  No,  no ;  you're  far  from  the  mark !  Molly, 
now  it's  your  turn." 

"  Is  it  because  they're  both  such  a  miser- 
able lot?"  asked  Molly  dubiously. 

"  Oh,  you  stupid  guessers !  "     Pauline  canted 


70  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

her  head  -saucily.  "Why,  listen  now,  my 
children.  Those  Indians  and  heavy  biscuits 
are  alike  because  neither  have  been  properly 
raised." 

"They're  ill-bred,  then,  aren't  they,  just  as 
I  said,"  retorted  Paul,  twisting  his  neck  to 
look  at  three  Indian  girls  coming  toward 
the  car.  All  wore  blankets,  not  folded,  but 
hanging  from  their  necks  by  the  hems;  and 
their  flowing,  black  hair  was  straight  and 
coarse,  like  a  horse's  mane. 

"  Out  with  your  camera,  Paul ! "  said 
Kirke,  while  Molly  whispered, — 

"  Do  look  at  their  faces,  a  bright  vermilion ! " 

"From  their  foreheads  down  to  their  chins. 
What  a  waste  of  good  paint ! "  Kirke  whis- 
pered back. 

"  Let's  take  them  something  to  eat,"  said 
Pauline,  gathering  up  the  fragments  of  the 
luncheon. 

"Yes,  yes,  so  we  will,"  cried  Molly. 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  J\ 

And  the  gay  little  party  hurried  forth  to 
feed  the  young  squaws,  and  buy  some  of  the 
curious  specimens  of  rocks  they  had  brought 
to  sell. 

Paul  seized  the  opportunity  to  take  a 
"snap-shot"  at  the  dusky  damsels.  Kirke 
purchased  of  them  several  bits  of  colored 
stone  for  his  cabinet,  and  remarked  later  to 
Paul  that  if  those  squaws  couldn't  speak 
English,  they  could  tell  a  nickel  from  a  dime 
with  their  eyes  shut. 

This  meeting  with, the  Indians  was  a  pleas- 
ant experience  to  The  Happy  Six,  —  a  much 
pleasanter  one  than  that  which  Kirke  was 
doomed  to  pass  through  on  the  morning 
they  entered  New  York. 

Kirke's  experience  occurred  in  this  wise: 
The  night  before  they  reached  New  York  he 
and  Paul  occupied  a  section  at  the  front  of 
the  sleeping-car  next  the  door,  Paul  having 
the  lower  and  Kirke  the  upper  berth. 


72  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

After  undressing,  Kirke  had  rolled  all  his 
clothes  together  into  a  bundle,  which  he 
placed  at  the  foot  of  his  berth,  where  he 
might  lay  his  hands  on  it  in  the  morning ;  for 
he  meant  to  be  up  early  to  see  whatever 
was  to  be  seen. 

But  when  he  opened  his  eyes  at  sunrise, 
the  bundle  had  mysteriously  disappeared. 

"  Paul  has  hidden  it  for  a  joke,"  was  his 
first  thought;  and  he  leaned  over  the  edge 
of  his  berth,  and  in  an  explosive  whisper 
charged  his  comrade  with  the  theft. 

"Taken  your  clothes?  No;  what  did  I 
want  of  your  clothes  ? "  answered  sleepy 
Paul,  a  little  cross  at  being  roused  from  a 
pleasant  dream.  "Why  don't  you  ring  for 
the  porter  ? " 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  honesty  of 
Paul's  tone.  Kirke  began  to  be  nervous. 
He  pressed  the  electric  bell  by  his  window, 
and  the  colored  porter  presently  appeared. 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  73 

"Want  anything,  sah?"  he  asked,  thrust- 
ing his  woolly  head  between  Kirke's  cur- 
tains. 

"  Yes,  porter,  I  want  my  clothes !  They 
were  in  a  bunch  at  the  foot  of  my  bed. 
Haven't  you   seen  them  ?  " 

"No,  sah;    but   I'll   try  to  find   them,  sah." 

Meanwhile  Mr.  Rowe,  Captain  Bradstreet, 
and  Paul  had  dressed  in  haste,  and  were 
now  ready  to  join  in  the  search. 

But  though  they  hunted  all  through  the 
car,  their  quest  was  in  vain.  The  missing 
garments  were  not  to  be  found. 

"The  conductor  thinks  the  thief  must  have 
sneaked  in  and  stolen  them  at  the  station 
where  we  stopped  at  midnight,"  said  Paul, 
coming  back  to  Kirke  with  the  unwelcome 
news.  "  It  seems  the  porter  left  the  door 
unlocked  a  minute  while  he  ran  out  to  send 
a  telegram  for  somebody." 

"And  here  I    am   in  my  night-gown,  Paul! 


74  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

What  on  earth  am  I  going  to  do  ?  "  groaned 
Kirke  behind  his  curtains. 

These  were  the  only  curtains  now  visible 
in  the  sleeper.  The  berths  of  all  the  other 
sections  had  been  put  up  for  the  day. 

"It's  an  outrageous  shame,  Kirke,  an  ever- 
lasting, heathenish  shame!''  vociferated  Paul; 
but  in  the  midst  of  his  condolence  he  had  to 
burst   out   laughing   at   the    sad    predicament. 

Kirke  relieved  his  own  feelings  by  throw- 
ing a  pillow  at  his  friend.  To  himself  the 
situation  was  far  from  ludicrous,  it  was  ap- 
palling. The  train  was  steaming  on  at  the 
rate  of  forty  miles  an  hour;  it  would  soon 
land  him  in  New  York.     Then  what? 

"Your  father  has  gone  to  look  up  your 
trunk  and  get  out  another  suit  for  you,"  con- 
tinued Paul,  catching  his  breath. 

"  Good !  But,  oh  dear,  how  can  he  open 
the  trunk  without  the  key  ?  The  key  was  in 
my  pocket ! " 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  ?$ 

But  the  key  was  not  needed ;  the  baggage 
was  not  on  that  train. 

A  moment  later,  Mr.  Rowe  appeared  at 
the  section,  carrying  on  his  arm  a  pair  of 
checked  blue-and-white  overalls. 

"  Well,  Kirke,  I've  done  my  best  for  you," 
said  he  cheerily.  "  I've  bought  these  of  a 
brakeman.  By  rolling  up  the  hems,  I  think 
you  can  manage  to  wear  them." 

"  Oh,  those  are  a  bonanza,  Kirke." 

It  was  his  mother's  voice  at  the  boy's  el- 
bow. "And  I've  brought  you  other  things 
to  put  on.  We'll  leave  you  now  to  dress. 
Be  as  quick  as  you  can." 

As  the  train  ran  into  the  New  York  sta- 
tion, a  rough-looking  lad  emerged  from  the 
curtains  clad  in  a  brakeman's  overalls  turned 
up  at  the  hem,  Molly's  ulster,  Mrs.  Rowe's 
overshoes,  and  Captain  Bradstreet's  smoking- 
cap. 

"O    Kirke,    you    look    like"  —  Mrs.    Rowe 


y6  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

cut  short  Weezy's  comparison  by  a  warning 
glance. 

"Like  a  California  freak,  Weezy.  Why, 
I  knew  that;  did  it  on  purpose,"  retorted 
Kirke,  assuming  an  air  of  bravado. 

"Oh,  no,  Kirke,  you  look  like  a  precious 
mosaic,"  said  Pauline  lightly,  while  the  whole 
party  managed  to  crowd  closely  about  the 
nondescript  boy. 

Partially  screened  by  his  friends,  the 
"precious  mosaic"  of  many  colors  skulked 
along  to  a  carriage  and  vaulted  into  it. 
Here  the  little  company  separated  for  the 
present,  the  Bradstreets  proceeding  to  a 
hotel  in  the  city,  and  the  Rowes  to  the  home 
of  Mrs.  Tracey,  where  they  were  to  remain 
till  the  sailing  of  the  steamer. 

"Auntie'll  think  you're  bringing  her  an 
almshouse  boy,  mamma,"  Kirke  said  ruefully, 
as  they  alighted  before  the   Tracey  mansion. 

To  greet  his  aunt  and  cousins   in  such  a 


OFF  FOR  NEW   YORK  J*] 

plight,  and  to  be  laughed  at  the  livelong  day, 
was  an  embarrassing  ordeal  to  the  lad;  but 
he  bore  it  manfully,  and  if  afterwards  he 
made  wry  faces  and  stamped  his  foot,  he  did 
it  in  the  privacy  of  his  own  room,  and  no- 
body was  the  wiser.  And  in  the  evening, 
with  the  arrival  of  his  trunk,  the  prolonged 
and  disagreeable  trial  came  to  an  end. 


78  THE  HAPPY  SIX 


CHAPTER  VI 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE 


The  Silver  Gate  City  party  left  New  York 
the  next  Saturday  on  the  French  steamer 
La  Bretagne,  bound  for  Havre.  They  took 
with  them  Jane  Leonard,  a  girl  of  eighteen, 
who  was  to  have  the  care  of  Donald. 

They  went  on  board  an  hour  before  sail- 
ing, and  Molly  and  Pauline  immediately  ran 
below  deck  to  put  in  order  the  stateroom 
which  they  were  to  share  with  Weezy.  It 
was  a  cosy,  outside  room  near  the  middle  of 
the  boat,  with  two  berths,  and  opposite  these 
a  cardinal  velvet  sofa  on  which  Weezy  was 
to  sleep. 

"It's  lucky  your  brush-and-comb  case  has 
a  loop  to  hang  it  up   by,    Molly,"    said    Pau- 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE  79 

line,  as  they  unpacked  their  toilet  articles. 
"You'd  better  pin  it  to  your  curtain  where 
you  can  reach  it  from  your  berth  without 
raising  your  head." 

"What  for?"  asked  Molly,  a  little  impa- 
tiently. She  sometimes  thought  her  friend 
rather  too  fond  of  dictating. 

"You'll  find  out  what  for  when  we  get 
into  rough  water  and  things  go  pitching 
about  the  vessel,"  responded  Pauline  in  a 
significant  tone.  "And  please,  please  don't 
put  that  cologne  bottle  in  the  rack.  If  you 
do  'twill  rattle  and  dance  and  thump  till  it 
breaks  —  or  you  wish  it  would." 

Molly  meekly  dropped  the  perfumery  back 
into  her  hand-bag,  and  hung  the  bag  upon 
a  large  hook  beside  the  plate-glass  mirror. 

"  You  scare  me  to  death,  Polly,"  she  said, 
with  a  shiver.  "  I  almost  wish  I  weren't 
going  to  sea." 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  you'll  like  the  ocean  when 


80  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

you  get  used  to  its  tricks/'  returned  Pauline, 
with  the  assurance  of  an  old  sailor.  "  How 
big  your  eyes  have  grown,  Miss  Scared-to- 
death !  And  they  are  just  the  color  of  pur- 
ple heliotrope." 

"  The  washed-out  kind  you  mean,  I  suppose, 
Polly  ? " 

"  No,  I  don't,  I  mean  the  washed-in  kind 
that  doesn't  fade,"  said  Pauline,  giving  Molly's 
auburn  hair  a  vicious  little  pull.  "You  know 
your  eyes  are  perfectly  lovely." 

"Come,  girls."  Mrs.  Rowe  appeared  in 
their  doorway  from  her  stateroom  across  the 
passage.  "  Let  us  go  on  deck ;  the  air  above 
will  be  fresher." 

"  So  it  will,  mamma.  Besides,  we  want  to  see 
the  land  every  minute  we  can,"  sighed  Molly. 

As  they  mounted  the  stairs  of  the  com- 
panion-way side  by  side,  she  grasped  her 
mother's  hand  and  held  it  fast.  Now  that 
the    longed-for    hour    of    sailing    had    actually 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE  8 1 

arrived,  she  felt  an  unexpected  reluctance  to 
leaving  the  solid  earth  behind  her  and  trust- 
ing herself  upon  the  heaving  waters.  But 
she  said  nothing  more  about  this  to  Pauline. 
Pauline  would  not  have  understood  her  dread. 
Neither  for  that  matter  would  fearless  Kirke 
have  understood  it. 

"  I  don't  see  your  father  and  the  others, 
Molly,"  said  Mrs.  Rowe  rather  anxiously  when 
she  and  the  girls  stood  on  the  crowded  deck. 
"  I  hope  they  won't  lose  sight  of  Donald." 

Pauline  sprang  upon  a  neighboring  settee, 
where  she  could  look  down  on  the  heads  of 
the  people. 

"Jane  Leonard  has  him  over  there  by  the 
rail,"  she  cried  presently.  "  Mr.  Rowe  and 
papa  are  close  by  them." 

"  Then  if  the  child  is  safe,  we  may  as  well 
stay  where  we  are,"  returned  Mrs.  Rowe,  dis- 
posing herself  upon  the  settee  on  which  Molly 
and  Pauline  were  now  leaning. 

G 


82  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

Her  words  were  lost  in  the  general  bustle 
and  confusion.  Soon  came  the  cry,  "All 
aboard ! " 

Visitors  upon  the  boat  rushed  ashore,  pas- 
sengers upon  the  shore  rushed  aboard.  The 
last  to  cross  the  gang-plank  being  the  captain 
of  the  vessel. 

Then  shouts  of  good-by  arose  from  the 
wharf,  and  answering  shouts  from  the  steamer ; 
the  ropes  were  thrown  off;  and  with  hats  and 
handkerchiefs  waving  from  her  deck,  La 
Bretagne  slipped  from  her  moorings  and  glided 
out  into  the  harbor. 

"  Isn't  she  a  beauty,  Molly  ? "  cried  Pauline, 
tapping  the  back  of  the  settee  in  her  enthu- 
siasm. 

"Who  is  a   beauty?" 

Molly  glanced  over  her  shoulder  and  saw 
a  graceful  young  lady  seated  upon  a  camp- 
stool  and  sorrowfully  gazing  at  the  shore. 

"  Oh,  are  you  speaking  of  that  young  lady 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE  83 

in  mourning,  Polly?  She's  pretty,  but  don't 
you  think  she's  too  pale?" 

"I  was  speaking  of  the  steamboat,  you 
dear  little  innocent,"  answered  Pauline,  laugh- 
ing. "I  hadn't  noticed  the  other  lady  before. 
How  white  she  is,  isn't  she  ?  All  the  color  she 
has  is  in  her  eyelids." 

"  Poor  thing,  she  must  have  cried  herself 
about  blind,  Polly." 

At  this  point  Captain  Bradstreet  came 
with  the  deck-steward  to  arrange  the  steamer- 
chairs  of  the  party.  Paul  and  Kirke  followed 
with  the  shawls  and  travelling-rugs.  Then 
those  who  wished  to  do  so  extended  themselves 
at  their  ease  and  chatted  or  dozed  till  the 
dinner-bell  sounded.  The  sea  was  as  smooth 
as  glass,  and  the  only  motion  of  the  vessel  was 
that  caused  by  the  throbbing  engines. 

"  I'm  not  a  bit  sea-sick,  boys,"  boasted  Molly, 
as  all  went  down  to  dinner ;  "  I  expected  to  be, 
but  I'm  not." 


84  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"I  hope  you'll  not  be  sick  during  the  pas- 
sage," replied  Paul,  but  his  face  wore  a  peculiar 
smile.  It  was  not  the  first  time  he  had  heard 
people  boast  in  this  way  before  they  were  fairly 
out  to  sea. 

On  entering  the  dining-room,  Molly  saw 
three  tables  stretching  from  one  end  of  it  to 
the  other,  and  on  either  side  of  these  tables 
were  rows  of  cardinal  velvet  chairs.  Instead 
of  being  supported  by  four  legs,  each  chair 
swung  upon  a  pivot  in  a  central  standard 
screwed  to  the  floor. 

"  Our  seats  are  at  the  middle  table,"  said 
Paul.  "There  are  your  father  and  mother 
just  sitting  down." 

Weezy  was  with  them  and  whispered  to 
Molly  as  she  paused  beside  her,  — 

"  I  tell  you  how  to  get  into  your  chair,  Molly. 
You  squeeze  in  sideways  and  then  jiggle  it 
'round." 

"Yes,  yes,  Weezy,  I  know." 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE  8 5 

Molly  wished  her  little  sister  would  not 
make  them  both  so  conspicuous  when  the 
young  lady  in  mourning  sat  next  Pauline  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  table  and  could  hear 
every  word. 

Molly's  place  was  between  Kirke  and  Weezy 
and  over  against  Captain  Bradstreet. 

"  You're  Number  Fifteen,  Molly,"  said  Kirke, 
reading  the  black  letters  on  his  ivory  napkin- 
ring.  "  You're  Number  Fifteen  and  I'm  Number 
Fourteen." 

"And  I'm  Number  Sixteen,"  added  Weezy, 
after  squinting  hard  at  her  own  ring. 

"  Yes,  they  treat  us  as  if  we  were  convicts  in 
a  state's  prison,"  Molly  turned  to  Kirke  with 
a  shrug.  "  You  know  they  make  convicts  drop 
their  own  names  and  answer  to  numbers." 

"  I  should  have  made  a  good  convict,  if  I 
had  worn  those  overalls  and  " — 

But  here  Kirke  was  interrupted  by  a  waiter 
bringing  him  a  plate  of  soup. 


86  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

They  were  a  long  time  at  dinner,  which  con- 
sisted of  several  courses  and  ended  with  harle- 
quin ice-cream,  —  red,  green,  and  white. 

Donald's  nurse  had  given  her  charge  an 
early  supper  in  the  children's  cabin,  and  when 
the  party  returned  to  the  deck  he  was  already 
in  bed. 

"  My  little  brother  can't  stay  awake  after 
dark  'cause  it  makes  him  cross,"  Weezy  frankly 
explained  to  the  pale  young  lady  in  black  with 
whom  she  had  become  friendly  during  dinner. 

"  Can't  he  ?  That's  unfortunate,"  replied 
the  young  lady,  smiling. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  care.     Not  so  very  cross." 

Weezy  was  eying  keenly  a  bag  of  black 
alligator  skin  dangling  from  her  companion's 
belt.  It  was  rather  larger  than  an  ordinary 
reticule,  and  furnished  with  a  steel  clasp  and 
chain.  The  young  lady  played  absently  with 
the  chain  while  talking. 

"  She   pets  her   pretty  bag  like  a  kitten.     I 


"'On!   I'm  ever  so  sorry,'  said  Weezy  " 

Page  87 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE  87 

wonder  what's  in  it  ? "  thought  Weezy,  wish- 
ing it  would  not  be  rude  to  inquire.  She 
suspected  that  it  contained  something  very, 
very  precious. 

"Didn't  anybody  come  with  you,  lady?" 
she  questioned  shyly,  being  exceedingly  de- 
sirous to  know.     "  Are  you  all  sole  alone  ? " 

"Yes,  dear;  all  sole  alone."  The  speak- 
er's voice  trembled.  "  My  father  had  in- 
tended to  cross  the  ocean  with  me;  but  he 
was  taken  suddenly  ill  last  month,  and  — 
he  has  died." 

"Oh,  I'm  ever  so  sorry,"  replied  Weezy, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  thinking  how  she 
should  feel  if  it  were  her  own  papa. 
"  Haven't  you  any  mamma  ?  " 

The  young  lady  shook  her  head,  not  trust- 
ing herself  to  speak. 

Weezy' s  hand  stole  quietly  into  that  of  her 
new  friend. 

"  That's   dreadful  —  not  to   have   any  papa 


88  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

and   mamma !      Don't    you   want    to    see   my 

mamma  ?      Please    come    over    to    the    other 

side  of  the  boat,  and  I'll  induce  you  to  her." 

"Thank   you,   darling;    but   I'd   rather    not 

go- 

"  My  mamma's  very  nice,"  pleaded  Weezy. 
"  Her  name  is  Mrs.  Rowe.  My  name  is 
Louise  Rowe,  only  'most  all  the  time  it's 
Weezy." 

"I'm  sure  your  mother  must  be  very  nice, 
Miss  Louise.  She  has  a  lovely  expression ; 
yet,  all   the  same,  I  can't   intrude   upon  her." 

"I  wish  you  could,"  said  Weezy,  wonder- 
ing what  was  meant  by  "intrude."  "If  you 
could,  you  wouldn't  be  lonesome,  'cause  we 
have  ten  peoples  —  only  Donald  is  abed." 

"  With  ten  in  your  party,  Miss  Louise,  I'm 
sure  you  have  enough  peoples  without  me," 
responded  the  young  lady  in  crape,  uncon- 
sciously cheered  by  the  child's  artless  sym- 
pathy.   "  Look,  your  mamma  is  beckoning  you." 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE  89 

Mrs.  Rowe  had  feared  lest  her  sociable  lit- 
tle daughter  might  annoy  the  stranger;  but 
after  hearing  Weezy's  story  about  her,  changed 
her  mind. 

"  The  poor  girl  looks  very  sad  and  lonely," 
she  said,  watching  the  sweet,  sensitive  face, 
which  she  had  observed  at  dinner.  "  I'll  go 
back  with  you,  Weezy,   and  speak  to  her." 

And  having  crossed  the  deck,  she  grace- 
fully introduced  herself  to  the  desolate  young 
lady  in  mourning,  who  in  return  gave  her 
own  name  as  Miss  Evans. 

"Cannot  I  prevail  upon  you,  Miss  Evans, 
to  make  my  little  daughter  and  the  rest  of  us 
happy,  by  joining  us  ? "  said  Mrs.  Rowe  cor- 
dially.    "  We  have  a  vacant  seat  to  offer  you." 

There  was  no  resisting  the  rare  charm  of 
the  lady's  manner,  and  the  desolate  stranger 
gladly  accepted  the  invitation,  though  on 
being  presented  to  the  other  members  of  the 
party  she  betrayed  great  shyness. 


90  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"Evidently  unaccustomed  to  society," 
thought  Mrs.  Rowe;  "yet  so  cultivated  and 
refined !     I  can't  quite  understand  it." 

After  they  had  become  better  acquainted, 
Miss  Evans  told  her  that  her  father  and 
herself  had  always  lived  together  a  retired 
life,  seeing  more  of  books  than  of  people. 
He  was  a  scientist,  and  had  devoted  many 
years  to  preparing  a  learned  work  on 
biology. 

"As  soon  as  his  book  was  finished,  papa 
meant  to  take  a  vacation  with  me,  Mrs. 
Rowe,"  she  said  tremulously.  "We  were  to 
visit  my  uncle  in  Paris.  But  the  very  day 
after  our  passage  on  the  steamer  had  been 
engaged,  papa  had  a  fatal  stroke  of  paralysis. 
And  so,"  added  Miss  Evans,  with  touching 
pathos,  "and  so  I  came  alone." 

"Alone  in  one  sense,  my  dear  Miss  Evans; 
yes,  sadly  alone,"  replied  Mrs.  Rowe  with 
feeling.      "  But  please   consider    yourself    one 


OFF  FOR  EUROPE  91 

of  our  large  party.  Please  look  upon  us  all 
as  your  friends." 

She  pressed  the  young  mourner's  hand 
warmly  as  she  spoke,  and  resolved  to  do  all 
in  her  power  to  enliven  her  voyage. 

Molly  and  Pauline  bestowed  stealthy  glances 
upon  the  diffident  newcomer  shrouded  in 
black  in  Donald's  chair.  In  the  splendor  of 
the  moonlight  her  pale  face  assumed  an  un- 
earthly radiance,  and  Kirke  remarked  confi- 
dentially to  Paul  that  she  was  "  a  regular 
stunner." 

"  Solemn  as  a  tombstone,  though,"  re- 
sponded Paul.  "And  see  her  hang  on  to 
that  bag  at  her  belt!  Anybody'd  think  it 
was  a  life-preserver." 

"  I  suppose  it  was  once,  when  the  skin 
was  on  the  alligator's  back,"  laughed  Kirke. 
"  Hark,  Paul,  your  father  is  beginning  a 
story ! " 

Captain    Bradstreet's    stories    were    always 


92  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

worth  hearing,  and  the  evening  being  warm 
and  still,  the  little  company  was  beguiled  into 
remaining  up  until  a  late  hour  to  listen  to 
some  of  his  thrilling  experiences  at  sea. 

"What  delightful  people  these  are !  "  thought 
the  lonely  Miss  Evans.  "  It  is  such  a  solace 
to  be  with  them.  And  I  had  not  expected  to 
speak  with  a  soul  on  board." 


TEN  AND    ONE  93 


CHAPTER  VII 


TEN   AND    ONE 


The  next  day  the  weather  continued  fine. 
The  ship  passed  schools  of  porpoises  sporting 
in  the  sun  and  splashing  the  water  like  swim- 
ming children  at  play. 

Captain  Bradstreet  told  Weezy  that  these 
porpoises  were  sometimes  called  fish-hogs. 
They  not  only  drive  shoals  of  herrings  and 
salmon  and  mackerel  before  them,  but  they 
sometimes  dive  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea  and 
root  for  eels  and  sea-worms,  as  pigs  on  land 
root  for  acorns  buried  under  leaves. 

The  second  morning  Paul  descried  a  sporting 
whale  to  leeward,  and  an  hour  later  an  ocean 
steamer.  When  the  vessels  were  near  each 
other,  La  Bretagne  ran  up  several  small  flags. 


94  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"  Those  flags  ask,  '  Have  you  seen  any 
icebergs  ? ' "  said  Captain  Bradstreet. 

And  when  the  other  vessel  signalled  by 
flags  that  the  passage  was  clear,  he  seemed 
greatly  pleased. 

"  I  always  dread  to  meet  icebergs  in  a 
fog,"  he  remarked. 

"But  there  isn't  a  speck  of  fog  to-day, 
Captain  Bradstreet,"  put  in  Weezy. 

"  No,  not  yet,  but  we  shall  run  into  it  off 
the  Banks,  little  maiden." 

"  What  banks,  Captain  Bradstreet  ? "  asked 
Weezy,  taking  a  peep  through  his  spy-glass,  which 
rested  across  the  top  of  Molly's  chair.  "  I  don't 
see  anything  around  here  but  just  water." 

"  I  mean  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  an 
island;  but  you  needn't  look  for  them,  you 
can't  see  them." 

"  I  can  see  something  though,  —  something 
white.  Look,  look,  Captain  Bradstreet !  Don't 
you  believe  it's  going  to  begin  to  fog?" 


TEN  AND    ONE  95 

"  Already  ?  Is  that  so  ?  "  The  captain 
raised  the  glass  and  peered  through  it  him- 
self. "  Yes,  you're  right,  Bright- Eyes.  The 
fog  is  '  going  to  begin '  to  bear  down  upon  us." 

And  in  a  few  moments  the  white  fog  had 
shrouded  the  vessel  from  stem  to  stern.  Then 
came  at  frequent  intervals  the  dreary  sound 
of  the  fog-horn. 

"What  a  hoarse  old  thing!"  exclaimed 
Weezy,  stopping  her  ears  in  disgust.  "  It  brays 
just  like  Kirke's  burro,  only  awful  worse." 

"As  if  it  had  a  long  sore  throat,"  laughed 
Molly,  buttoning  her  sister's  cape  at  the  neck. 

"They're  manning  all  the  lookouts,"  re- 
marked the  wise  Pauline. 

"  They're  doing  what,  Pauline  ?  And  what 
are  they  doing  it  to?"  asked  Molly  playfully. 
"  Won't  you  please  speak  English  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  dear,  stupid  old  land-sparrow ! 
Don't  you  see  those  wooden  cages  high 
above   the   forecastle  ? " 


96  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"  I  don't  know  what  the  forecastle  is ;  but 
do  you  mean  those  little  platforms  with  fences 
round  them  ? " 

"Yes,  those  are  the  lookouts.  There  are 
five  on  this  steamer,  —  I've  counted,  —  and  the 
mate  has  sent  a  sailor  to  each  one  to  watch 
and  sing  out  if  there's  danger  of  our  running 
into  anything." 

"  Ugh !  I  wouldn't  be  in  their  places  for 
a  hundred  dollars,"  said  Molly.  "  But  Kirke 
would  like  it,  you  may  depend.  I  never  heard 
of  such  a  boy !  To  think  of  the  way  he  went 
down  into  that  well  to  save  Sing  Wung ! " 

"  Kirke  is  a  noble  little  fellow,"  returned 
Captain  Bradstreet  heartily,  to  Molly's  intense 
satisfaction.  "And  here  he  is  now,  coming 
aft,  and  Paul  is  behind  him." 

Pauline  flirted  her  handkerchief  at  the  lads 
as  her  father  spoke,  and  they  walked  across 
the  wet  deck  toward  her,  Paul  slipping  once 
on  the  way  and  nearly  falling. 


TEN  AND    ONE  97 

"A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile,"  said  his  sis- 
ter merrily,  when  he  came  up  to  her. 

"  Some  misses  are  as  good  as  two  miles,  if 
not  better,"  said  Kirke,  attempting  to  be  witty 
and  bowing  with  much  gallantry  first  to  Pau- 
line and  next  to  Molly.  "  Oh,  girls,  I  tell  you 
we've  been  having  fun !  " 

"With  what,  Kirke?"  they  both  inquired. 
"With  shuffle-board?" 

"  No,  no,  not  with  shuffle-board,  but  with 
—  well,  you  might  call  it  'shovel-aboard,'  if 
you  want  to,"  said  Kirke,  "dropping  into" 
wit  again ;  whereupon  Paul  chuckled  and 
cried,  "  Pretty  good,  Kirke.  You  see  we've 
been  watching  the  men  shovel  coal  into  the 
furnace." 

"  Can't  we  go  down  there,  too  ? "  asked 
Molly,  taking  a  step  forward. 

"  No,  indeed,  not  you  girls !  You'd  spoil 
your  dresses.  Why,  the  furnaces  are  a  deck 
below  the  boilers." 


98  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"And  halfway  down  the  stairs  give  out 
and  you  have  to  go  the  rest  of  the  way  on 
a  ladder,"  added  Kirke. 

"  It's  a  droll  place,  though,  when  you  get 
there,"  resumed  Paul.  "  Coal-bins  all  around, 
—  they  call  'em  bunkers,  —  and  stokers  black 
as  soot  wheeling  the  coal  to  the  furnaces  in 
barrows." 

"Stokers?"  repeated  Weezy.  "Kirke,  did 
I  ever  see  a  stoker?     Is  it  a  donkey?" 

"  Not  always,  little  Miss  Quiz,"  replied 
Kirke  with  a  giggle;  and  they  all  laughed, 
as  if  she  had  said  something  very  foolish. 

"  Now,  I  know  you're  making  fun.  I 
think   you're  as  unpolite  as  you  can  be !  " 

Her  head  drooped;  but  before  the  tears 
could  fall,  Captain  Bradstreet  soothed  her 
wounded  feelings  by  whispering  in  her  ear 
that  little  girls  who  had  never  been  to  sea 
couldn't  be  expected  to  know  about  stokers. 
He  would  tell  her  in  confidence  that  stokers 


TEN  AND    ONE  99 

are  the  men  who  tend  the  fires  on  a  steam- 
boat. 

"The  poor  souls  weren't  more  than  half 
dressed,"  said  Paul,  when  peace  had  been 
restored.  "  But  still  they  looked  ready  to 
melt.  You  never  saw  such  a  fire  as  they 
keep  up  in  those  furnaces,  girls." 

"Threw  coal  into  the  fire-boxes  every  min- 
ute or  two,"  interposed  Kirke. 

Molly  suddenly  fell  to  dusting  her  brother's 
coat  with  her  handkerchief.  "You've  run 
against  something  white,  Kirke.  And  so  has 
Paul.  They  don't  keep  their  flour-barrels 
down  there,  I  should  hope." 

"  No ;  that's  a  stoker's  mark.  One  of  the 
stokers  drew  a  chalk-line  around  our  waists 
and  said  we  couldn't  go  till  we'd  paid  our 
fee." 

"A  stupid  joke,  I  should  call  it,"  said  Molly, 
for  the  chalk-mark  was  hard  to  remove. 

"A    pretty   old    joke,"    responded   the    cap- 


100  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

tain.  "They  always  try  it  on  visitors.  I 
hope  you  took  it  in  good  part,  boys  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  papa,"  said  Paul.  "  Each  of  us 
gave  the  man  a  dime." 

"And  made  money  by  it,  too,"  declared 
Kirke.  "'Twas  well  worth  a  quarter  to  be 
let  out  of  that  hot  hole." 

"  I'd  like  some  of  the  heat  up  here,"  said 
Molly,  her  teeth  chattering.  "  Miss  Evans 
had  to  put  away  her  writing  and  go  below, 
her  hands  were  so  stiff." 

"  She's  writing  a  story,  Kirke,  and  she'll 
read  it  to  me  sometime.  She  promised  she 
would,"  exclaimed  Weezy,  very  proud  of  the 
notice  she  received  from  her  new  friend. 

"We  just  met  her  at  the  foot  of  the  com- 
panion-way with  her  tablet  in  her  hand," 
said  Kirke. 

"Yes,"  added  Paul,  "and  she  was  clutch- 
ing that  bag  of  hers,  as  usual.  I  believe 
she's  carrying  diamonds  in  it." 


TEN  AND    ONE  10 1 

"Then  you  must  believe  her  to  be  a  very 
silly  young  woman,  my  son.  I  wonder  you 
don't  tell  her  that  passengers  are  expected 
to  give  their  valuables  to  the  purser,  to  be 
locked  in  his  safe,"  observed  the  captain 
jestingly.  "  For  my  part,  I  never  should 
suspect  that  the  poor  girl  was  rolling  in 
gold." 

"  I'm  sure  she  isn't  rich.  She  dresses  very 
plainly,"  said  Pauline.  "  By  the  way,  what 
makes  rich  people  want  to  '  roll,'  I  wonder  ? " 

"Especially  in  gold,"  added  Molly  flip- 
pantly, as  they  entered  the  dining-saloon.  "  I 
shouldn't  want  to  roll  in  gold,  of  all  things. 
It's  one  of   the  hardest  things  in  the  world." 

"And  the  hardest  to  get,"  broke  in  Paul, 
with  a  grin. 

"  What  would  you  like  to  roll  in,  Molly  ? 
Soft  money  ? "  said  Kirke,  with  a  grin  of  his 
own.  "That  shows  your  politics,  miss. 
You're   a  soft-money  girl." 


102  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"A  soft,  mooney  girl,  Kirke  Rowe?  She's 
no  such  thing.  I  deny  it ! "  cried  Pauline, 
pretending  to  have  misunderstood.  "  Now 
bring  the  Alphabet  Bewitched,  there's  a  good 
boy,  and  we'll  have  a  game  of  letters." 

With  the  beginning  of  the  game,  the  chil- 
dren's lively  banter  ceased,  and  Captain  Brad- 
street  walked  off  to  the  further  end  of  the 
saloon  to  converse   with  Mr.  and    Mrs.  Rowe. 

That  was  the  last  quiet  morning  on  board 
ship  for  three  long  days ;  for  in  the  night  a 
rough  gale  swept  over  the  sea,  tossing  the 
vessel  to  and  fro,  and  almost  hurling  pas- 
sengers from  their  berths.  Once  Molly  was 
awakened  by  a  loud  crash,  and  cried  out  in 
terror  to  Pauline  in  the  upper  berth. 

"It's  only  dishes  breaking  in  the  dining- 
saloon,"  yawned  Pauline,  turning  over.  "Why 
don't  you  go  to  sleep  ? " 

As  her  father  proudly  said,  Pauline  was  a 
chip   of    the    old   block,    a   born   sailor.      She 


TEN  AND   ONE  IO3 

liked  the  swell  of  the  ocean.  She  was  never 
timid,  never  seasick.  The  same  was  true  of 
Captain  Bradstreet  and  of  Kirke.  They  all 
went  to  the  dining-table  three  times  a  day, 
sometimes  five,  undisturbed  even  though  the 
plates  might  dance  a  jig,  and  the  glasses  in 
the  rack  above  them  jingle  and  jump  and 
threaten  to  come  down  upon  their  heads. 

The  rest  of  the  party,  more  or  less  ill  for 
a  time,  rallied  after  the  abatement  of  the 
storm  —  all  of  them  but  Weezy.  When  at 
last  able  to  be  carried  on  deck,  she  was 
still  pale  and  languid,  and  felt  rather  forlorn. 

The  rest  of  the  company  made  every  effort 
to  entertain  her,  but  in  vain.  There  were  only 
two  people  on  whom  the  little  maid  would 
condescend  to  smile.  One  of  these  was  Miss 
Evans,  who  read  aloud  some  of  the  delightful 
tales  she  had  written  ;  the  other  was  a  young 
man  who  never  even  spoke  to  the  child;  but 
you  will  hear  of  him  in  the  following  chapter. 


104  THE  HAPPY  SIX 


CHAPTER  VIII 


ELEVEN   IN    FRANCE 


Of  all  the  passengers  on  the  ship,  —  and 
there  were  perhaps  six  hundred, — none  inter- 
ested the  boys  of  The  Happy  Six  like  the 
young  man  with  one  leg,  who  was  going  to 
London  and  Paris  to  astonish  the  people  by 
his  tricks  on  a  bicycle. 

He  had  a  wife,  a  very  pleasant  young 
woman,  and  Molly  and  Pauline  liked  to  talk 
with  her.  She  told  them  she  was  in  the 
habit  of  riding  on  her  own  wheel,  ahead  of 
her  husband,  and  throwing  balls  in  the  air 
for  him  to  fire  at  as  he  followed  her;  and  he 
never  failed  to  hit  the  balls. 

"How  wonderful!"  cried  Pauline. 

"Yes,"     returned    the    wife    proudly;    "but 


ELEVEN  IN  FRANCE  105 

really  not  so  wonderful  as  his  spinning  his 
wheel  down  a  toboggan  slide.  That  is  some- 
thing that  has  never  yet  been  done  by  any 
man  with  two  legs." 

"Oh,  I  should  hope  not,"  said  Molly;  "it 
makes  me  shudder  to  think  of  it." 

"Look,  look,"  cried  Pauline;  "see  what  he 
is  doing  now !  " 

Some  one  was  playing  the  fiddle,  and  this 
extraordinary  young  man  was  actually  danc- 
ing in  perfect  time  with  one  foot.  He  was 
laughing,  too,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  the  per- 
formance as  much  as  any  one  else. 

He  was  always  in  good  spirits,  so  his  wife 
said ;  and  he  assured  the  boys  that  he  did 
not  mind  the  loss  of  his  leg. 

"There's  a  philosopher  for  you,"  said  Mr. 
Rowe  to  Captain  Bradstreet;  and  when  the 
dancing  was  over,  they  both  went  up  and 
shook  hands  cordially  with  the  happy  trick- 
cyclist. 


106  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

And  now  the  ship  was  almost  at  the  end  of 
her  voyage.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  Fourth 
of  July  the  deck  was  crowded  with  pas- 
sengers looking  pleased  and  expectant. 

Presently  across  the  sea  to  port  was  dis- 
cerned a  brown  speck,  and  caps  went  up  with 
a  shout. 

"What  are  you  all  making  such  a  noise 
for  ?  Tell  me  quick !  "  cried  Weezy,  running 
to  the  rail  where  Paul  stood  clapping  his 
hands.  By  this  time  Weezy  had  quite  re- 
covered and  was  again  her  healthy,  inquisi- 
tive little  self. 

"  We've  sighted  Land's  End,  Weezy  Rowe, 
that's  what,"  answered  Paul,  with  unwonted 
excitement. 

"  Oh  !  Oh  !  Are  we  coming  to  the  end  of 
the  world,  Paul  ?  "  Weezy' s  eyes  sparkled  like 
twin  stars.     "  Are  we  truly,  truly  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  not  to  the  end  of  the  world,  Miss 
Quizzy."     Paul    smothered    a   laugh.      "We're 


ELEVEN  IN  FRANCE  \0J 

only  coming  to  the  end  of  England.  There's 
a  long  stretch  of  world  beyond  that." 

"Oh,  that's  too  bad!"  sighed  Weezy. 

And  as  they  sailed  closer  to  the  shore,  she 
added  in  a  tone  of  disapproval, — 

"Land's  End  is  a  weeny  bit  of  a  thing, 
isn't  it?" 

"  Not  very  large,  Weezy.  That  sharp  tongue 
is  called  Lizard's  Point.  People  there  are  watch- 
ing out  and  every  time  an  ocean  steamer  comes 
in,  they  telegraph  about  it  to  New  York." 

"Why,  Paul,  I  think  that's  telling  tales. 
Can't  a  ship" — began  Weezy;  but  was  in- 
terrupted by  this  glad  cry  from  Kirke, — 

"  The  pilot  boat !     Paul,  the  pi-lot  boat !  " 

A  white-winged  yacht  was  approaching. 
When  it  had  come  near  enough,  the  steamer 
stopped  and  took  the  pilot  on  board.  The 
passengers  smiled  as  he  mounted  the  rope- 
ladder  at  the  vessel's  side,  for  now  they  knew 
they   should    land   in   France  the   next  morn- 


108  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

ing.  No  vessel  is  ever  allowed  to  land  with- 
out a  pilot  to  show  her  the  way. 

"  Come,  Weezy,  it's  time  to  dress  for  din- 
ner," said  Molly  a  little  later,  pausing  in  a 
promenade  with  Miss  Evans.  "  We  want  to 
look  our  very  best  to-night,  Weezy,  because 
the  captain  is  going  to  give  a  grand  Fourth 
of  July  banquet." 

"  I  knew  that ;  I  heard  it  before  you  did, 
Molly  Rowe." 

Weezy  skipped  away  with  her  sister  to 
their  stateroom,  and  when  the  bell  rang  they 
entered  the  dining-saloon,  arrayed  in  their 
finest  apparel. 

The  saloon  was  a  brilliant  mass  of  color. 
American  flags  draped  the  walls ;  the  tables 
were  decked  in  red,  white,  and  blue;  and 
every  napkin  was  a  white  tower  with  a  small 
flag  at  its  top. 

"  They've  planted  our  '  Old  Glory '  every- 
where," said  Paul.     "Only  see!" 


ELEVEN  IN  FRANCE  IO9 

It  was  really  a  grand  banquet  and  lasted 
a  long  while.  With  the  dessert  were  passed 
little  favors  of  colored  tissue  paper.  Kirke's 
favor  proved  to  be  a  blue  Liberty  cap  which 
he  put  on  with  much  glee.  Paul  and  Weezy 
had  Marie  Stewart  bonnets ;  Pauline  and  Molly 
red  military  hats. 

After-dinner  speeches  followed,  the  French 
people  complimenting  the  Americans,  and  the 
Americans  complimenting  the  French.  And 
then,  having  returned  thanks  to  the  captain 
for  his  courtesy,  the  guests  arose  from  the 
feast. 

In  leaving  the  room  Molly  turned  to  speak 
with  Miss  Evans  and  observed  that  she  had 
exchanged  her  black  serge  travelling  dress  for 
one  of  mourning  silk,  but  still  wore  at  her 
belt  the  large,  conspicuous  reticule. 

"A  leather  bag  at  a  grand  dinner!  What 
strange  taste  !  "  she  thought.  "  And  yet  Miss 
Evans  is  certainly  a  lady." 


110  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

In  the  morning  they  landed  at  the  port  of 
Havre  and  passed  through  the  Custom  House. 
There,  to  Weezy's  great  indignation,  their 
trunks  were  opened  and  searched.  When  a 
dark,  sour-looking  officer  handled  roughly  her 
cherished  Araminta,  the  little  girl  could  no 
longer  contain  herself,  but  in  her  anxiety  ex- 
claimed aloud,  — 

"Please,  sir,  lift  my  doll  easy!  Sometimes 
her  eye  falls  out !  " 

He  never  answered,  never  even  looked  up, 
but  went  on  holding  the  unfortunate  Araminta 
upside  down  in  his  left  hand,  while  with  his 
right  hand  he  fumbled  about  among  the  con- 
tents of  the  box. 

Weezy  considered  his  conduct  extremely 
rude,  and  was  very  angry  with  him,  till  her 
mother  suggested  that  as  he  was  a  French- 
man he  might  not  have  understood  what  she 
said. 

After  the  luggage  had   been   examined  and 


ELE  VEN  IN  FRANCE  1 1 1 

chalked  with  a  capital  letter  D,  our  party 
drove  to  the  Frascati,  a  large  hotel,  for  break- 
fast. 

After  breakfast  the  boys  walked  off  to  the 
immense  stone  bath-house  across  the  court. 
A  white-capped  old  woman  sat  at  a  desk  in 
the  broad  entrance  hall,  writing  accounts  in  a 
ledger.  The  boys  had  French  money  —  francs 
and  centimes — which  they  had  received  from 
the  purser  on  the  ship  in  exchange  for  United 
States  money. 

Paul  could  speak  a  little  French,  and  he 
bought  the  bath-tickets,  paying  an  extra  sum 
for  soap  and  towels. 

"Well,  I  hope  that's  mean  enough!"  said 
Kirke,  when  this  was  explained  to  him.  "  Do 
they  charge  extra  for  the  water,  too  ? " 

Then  they  followed  a  waiting-maid  up-stairs 
into  separate  bath-rooms ;  and  again  Kirke  was 
astonished,  for  when  he  had  entered  his  room, 
the   girl   turned   the   key  and   locked   him   in. 


112  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

To  the  American  boy,  unused  to  foreign  cus- 
toms, this  seemed  a  strange  proceeding. 

When  he  had  made  his  toilet,  rung  a  bell, 
and  been  released  from  solitary  confinement, 
he  ran  out  to  seek   Paul  in  the  waiting-room. 

"What  do  you  think,  Paul  Bradstreet!  That 
girl  locked  me  into  my  room ! " 

"Well,  she  locked  me  into  mine,  too;  that's 
a  way  they  have  in  this  country." 

Kirke  related  his  experience  to  the  girls  that 
afternoon  in  a  very  graphic  way,  as  the  quar- 
tette strolled  together  on  the  heights. 

Pauline  laughed,  and  Molly  demurely  re- 
marked that  she  had  never  heard  before  of 
a  country  where  people  were  shut  up  who 
hadn't  been  naughty ! 

"  Be  careful,  Molly,  or  President  Faure  may 
hear  you,"  said  Paul,  in  pretended  alarm.  "  I 
suppose  he  is  in  that  square,  cream-colored 
house  this  minute ;  it's  where  he  lives  in  the 
summer." 


ELE  VEN  IN  FRANCE  1 1 3 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ? "  asked  Pauline. 
"Who  said   so?" 

"The  head  clerk  at  the  hotel  described  it 
to  me." 

"Head  clerk,  indeed!  You  mean  concierge," 
corrected  his  sister.  "  One  would  think  you 
had  never  been  abroad  before.  You  must 
use  the  French  names." 

"  A  queer  country,"  said  Molly.  "  No  mat- 
ter how  gray-headed  a  man  is,  they  call  him 
garcon  ;  and  garcon  means  boy." 

It  had  been  Miss  Evans's  original  plan  to 
proceed  directly  from  Havre  to  Paris;  but 
on  being  urged  by  her  Silver  Gate  friends  to 
visit  with  them  various  points  of  interest 
along  the  road,  she  could  not  resist  the  in- 
vitation. 

"I  came  to  France  mainly  on  account  of 
an  important  errand  in  Paris,"  she  said  to 
Mrs.  Rowe.  "I've  been  wanting  to  tell  you 
about    it,   only   I    can't  mention    the   subject 


114  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

without  crying.  But  now  I  find  that  the 
people  I  wish  to  see  will  be  out  of  the  city 
for  another  week  or  two.  And  so,"  she  con- 
tinued, drying  her  eyes,  "  I  believe  I  may 
allow  myself  this  pleasant  holiday  with  you." 
Accordingly  she  wired  her  uncle  that  he 
need  not  expect  her  at  present,  as  she  was 
to  join  the  Silver  Gate  party  next  morn- 
ing for  a  carriage-drive  through  picturesque 
Normandy. 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  115 


CHAPTER   IX 


THE   MYSTERIOUS    BAG 


The  Silver  Gate  tourists  all  assembled  for 
breakfast  in  the  hotel  dining-room  dressed 
for  their  excursion.  The  clothes  worn  by 
them  on  shipboard  had  been  packed  in  a 
box  to  be  forwarded  to  Liverpool,  in  readi- 
ness for  the  home  voyage,  and  The  Happy 
Six  appeared  now  in  tidy  new  suits.  Miss 
Evans  wore  a  neat  black  mohair  and  a  fresh 
black  straw  hat,  but  had  not  laid  aside  the 
familiar  reticule. 

"The  bag  looks  like  a  padlock,  Paul.  Do 
you  suppose  she  needs  all  that  to  fasten  her 
belt  ? " 

"  It  seems  like  it,"  murmured   Paul. 

But  the   remarks   were   strictly   confidential. 


Il6  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

The  boys  would  not  have  injured  Miss 
Evans's  feelings  on  any  account:  they  were 
too  well-bred  for  that.  Besides,  they  liked 
her  very  much. 

The  early  breakfast  —  or  le  cafe  —  con- 
sisted of  cafe  au  laity  —  which  is  coffee 
served  with  boiled  milk,  —  rolls,  and  unsalted 
butter.  This  butter  had  been  moulded  into 
the  shape  of  wild  roses,  with  petals  as  thin 
as  wafers,  and  each  guest  had  two  of  these 
wee  roses  on  a  tiny  dish  beside  his  plate 
at  table. 

"  Papa  enjoys  the  butter,  don't  you  see, 
mamma  ? "  said  Molly,  in  a  low  tone  as  they 
left  the  dining-room. 

"Yes,  I  observed  it,"  returned  her  mother, 
looking  pleased.  "  I  fancy  his  appetite  is 
really  improving." 

Then  they  all  mounted  the  black  jaunting- 
car  waiting  in  the  court.  Donald  was  in 
boisterous  spirits :   so   delighted   at   his  escape 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  117 

from  the  confinement  of  the  steamer  that  he 
could  hardly  contain  himself. 

The  two  seats  of  the  car  ran  lengthwise 
and  faced  each  other.  Miss  Evans  sat  near 
the  front,  just  behind  the  driver's  box,  which 
the  voluble  coachman  shared  with  Captain 
Bradstreet.  French  cockers  are  very  fond 
of  imparting  information,  and  this  one  dis- 
coursed so  rapidly  concerning  the  farms, 
houses,  and  people  along  the  way  that  the 
captain  finally  turned  around  to  Miss  Evans 
with  a  comical  look  of  despair,  and  said, — 

"  Will  you  please  tell  me  what  this  man 
is  raving  about?  He  telescopes  his  words 
so  that  I  can't  understand  him." 

"  He  was  speaking  just  now  of  these  neat  piles 
of  broken  stone  by  the  roadside,  Captain  Brad- 
street,"  replied  Miss  Evans,  smiling.  "He  says 
government  requires  every  man  to  furnish  a 
given  weight  —  I  missed  the  number  of  pounds 
— of  this  crushed  stone  to  repair  the  highways." 


Il8  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"That's  why  the  roads  look  so  very  neat. 
Just  the  thing  for  bicycles.  I  wish  they  had 
such  a  law  in  the  United  States." 

"I  made  the  same  remark  to  the  cocker" 
returned  Miss  Evans,  who  seemed  to  talk  to 
the  man  with  the  greatest  ease. 

After  this,  she  was  constantly  appealed  to 
for  translating  French  into  English.  On  one 
of  these  occasions,  Mrs.  Rowe  said,  with  one 
of  her  affable  smiles,  "We  are  grateful  to 
you,  Miss  Evans,  for  acting  as  our  interpre- 
ter. Mr.  Rowe  and  I  find  ourselves  sadly 
rusty  in  French." 

"  So  are  Molly  and  I,  Miss  Evans,"  added 
Pauline.  "  You  never  would  dream  that 
we've  just  been  studying  it;  now  would 
you  ? " 

"And  we  had  good  marks  at  school,  too," 
said  Molly.  "  I  don't  see  what  the  trouble 
is." 

"I    do,"   said    Pauline.     "  We  are  not  one 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  II9 

bit  to  blame.  The  people  don't  understand 
their  own  language,  that's  all.  Ask  'em  a 
question,  and  they  just  shake  their  heads  and 
rattle  off  the  sounds  of  the  vowels,  —  'A,  ah, 
aw,  a,  e,  e,'  and  so  on." 

Pauline  was  a  capital  mimic,  and  rendered 
this  burlesque  of  foreign  speech  with  a  droll- 
ery that  provoked  loud  applause  and  aroused 
Donald  to  a  high  pitch  of  enthusiasm. 

"A,  ah,  ow;  bow,  wow  wow,"  he  screamed, 
waving  his  little  hands  like  Pauline. 

Jane  Leonard  quietly  slipped  her  arm  about 
his  waist  to  prevent  his  falling  from  the  car- 
riage, and  whispered  him  to  be  quiet,  for 
her  head  ached.  She  considered  little  Num- 
ber Six  a  very  noisy  child.  Though  too 
young  to  appreciate  the  quaint,  beautiful  pict- 
ures of  the  constantly  changing  landscape, 
he  enjoyed  their  novelty,  and  was  constantly 
trying  to  express  his  delight. 

"And  this  is  Normandy,"  said  Mrs.  Rowe, 


120  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

drawing  a  long  breath  of  satisfaction;  "pictu- 
resque Normandy." 

Ancient  houses,  on  which  were  growing 
grass  and  flowers,  —  among  the  flowers  the 
fleur-de-lis \  or  lily  of  France.  By  the  road- 
side, gorgeous  red  poppies,  hobnobbing  with 
the  blue  corn-flower  or  bachelor's  button. 
Acres  and  acres  of  sugar  beets,  and  of  flax, 
and  of  absinthe.  In  one  valley,  some  peas- 
ants —  men  and  women  —  were  pulling  the 
absinthe  and  laying  it  in  rows  to  dry. 

"They  should  burn  it  instead,"  Captain 
Bradstreet  remarked  rather  severely.  "  The 
drink  they  make  from  absinthe  intoxicates 
and  does  them  much  harm." 

"  But  it's  a  good  medicine  and  brings  them 
a  deal  of  money,"  said  Mr.  Rowe. 

Farther  on,  at  a  turning  of  the  road,  Donald 
gave  an  ecstatic  little  scream  and  pointed  with 
his  finger. 

"  Oh,  look,  mamma,  look !  " 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  121 

An  old  dame  was  approaching,  leading  five 
cows  abreast,   all  tied  together  by  the  horns. 

"  She  seems  to  be  moving  her  dairy,"  re- 
marked Kirke  to  the  carriage  at  large. 

"  Her  dairy  ?  The  dairy  of  the  whole 
neighborhood,  more  likely,"  said  Paul. 

"A  £tfw-operative  dairy,"  suggested  Pauline 
quickly,  whereupon  they  all  laughed. 

A  little  way  behind  the  "  co-operative  dairy  " 
followed  a  young  peasant  woman  in  a  short 
dress  trundling  a  black  baby  carriage. 

"  Think  of  a  solemn  black  carriage  like 
that  for  a  dear  little  baby ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Rowe.  "Yet  the  French  are  called  a  cheer- 
ful people ! " 

They  passed  black  Norman  carts  with  enor- 
mous wheels,  and  the  carts  were  drawn  by 
Norman  horses  with  large  hairy  feet. 

"Not  a  bit  like  America  anywhere,"  said 
Kirke,  "and  I'm  glad  of  it.  We  came  here 
to  see  something  new." 


122  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  The 
Happy  Six  and  their  elders  reached  the  fish- 
ing village  where  they  were  to  spend  the 
night.  Its  gray  stone  inn  was  more  than 
two  hundred  years  old,  and  like  many  inns 
in  Europe  had  once  been  a  castle.  There 
were  no  carpets,  but  the  floors  were  spot- 
lessly white,  and  the  copper  saucepans  and 
kettles  in  the  kitchen  shone  through  the 
windows  of  the  room  as  the  setting  sun 
shone  through  the  ruins  on  the  neighboring 
cliff. 

After  dinner  the  gentlemen  and  lads  of  the 
company  prowled  about  these  ruins  in  the 
twilight,  while  Pauline  and  Molly  chatted  in 
the  inn  parlor  with  three  young  English  girls 
boarding  with  their  mother  in  the  house. 

Miss  Evans,  wearing  the  alligator-skin  bag, 
as  was  her  habit,  came  in  to  read  by  the 
lamp  upon  the  centre-table ;  but,  after  Weezy 
and   Donald  were  in  bed,  went  to  assist  Mrs. 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  1 23 

Rowe  in  the  care  of  Jane  Leonard,  who  was 
now  suffering  severely  from  headache. 

The  next  day  Jane  could  not  raise  her  head 
from  the  pillow.  Mrs.  Rowe  and  Miss  Evans 
sat  with  her  by  turns,  while  Donald  was  left 
to  the  care  of  the  rest  of  the  party. 

This  disposal  of  himself  suited  his  little 
lordship,  for,  everybody's  business  being  no- 
body's, he  was  allowed  to  run  at  large,  and 
within  certain  limits  do  about  as  he  pleased. 

Captain  Bradstreet,  Paul,  and  Kirke  had 
set  out  early  for  another  peep  at  the  ruins, 
and  as  soon  as  the  dew  was  off  the  grass 
Donald  slipped  away  from  his  father,  loung- 
ing in  front  of  the  hotel,  and  trudged  behind 
Weezy  and  the  older  girls  toward  the  sea. 

The  beaten  path  which  they  followed  ended 
abruptly  at  the  smooth,  flat  cobble-stones  of 
the  shelving  beach.  Here  stood  a  row  of 
disabled  old  fishing-boats,  drawn  up  above  the 
dashing  of  the  tide  and  fashioned   into   rude 


124  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

cottages,  each  with  a  thatched  roof,  narrow 
door,  and  two  or  three  small  windows. 

It  was  in  these  tiny  buildings  that  the 
fishermen  stored  their  wares.  As  the  chil- 
dren drew  near,  fish-wives  were  sitting  upon 
the  door-steps  of  some  of  the  boat-houses, 
netting  seines  of  coarse  green  twine.  A  few 
of  the  women  wore  starched  white  caps  with 
wide,  flopping  borders.  The  rest  were  bare- 
headed, and  the  sun  stared  saucily  down  at 
their  shiny  red  faces. 

"  Let's  speak  to  the  best-looking  one,  Pau- 
line," suggested  Molly,  as  they  sauntered 
along  the  row  of  women. 

"To  the  least  ugly  one,  you  mean,  don't 
you?"  returned  Pauline,  casting  a  scrutiniz- 
ing glance  at  the  busy  workers. 

"The  least  ugly  one  is  that  woman  straight 
ahead  in  the  sky-blue  apron." 

"She  has  hair  on  her  chin,  Polly." 

"And   haven't  they   all,  or  nearly  all,  you 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  1 25 

fastidious  creature  ?  And  isn't  she  the  only 
one  that  looks  reconciled  to  it  ? "  Pauline 
rattled  on.  "  I  think  she  deserves  to  be 
noticed."  And  stepping  up  to  the  peasant, 
she  made  a  graceful  bow,  and  said, — 

"  Bon  jour,  madanie" 

"  Bon  jour,  mcdriselle"  replied  the  fish-wife 
politely,  not  pausing  from  her  netting.  Then 
nodding  toward  Donald,  she  added  something 
about  "  le  joli  petit  enfant." 

"  She  seems  to  be  delivering  an  oration, 
Molly,"  murmured  mischievous  Pauline  with 
a  serious  countenance. 

"  Don't,  Polly,  don't  make  me  laugh  in  her 
face,"  entreated  Molly,  her  lips  twitching. 
"  She  said  Donald  was  a  pretty  little  child. 
I  understood  as  much  as  that." 

"Pretty?  Of  course  he  is,  and  he's  sweet; 
but  that's  no  reason  why  she  should  run  her 
words  all  together  like  melted  caramels," 
retorted     Pauline,     looking     straight     at     the 


126  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

woman  and  speaking  in  an  easy,  conversa- 
tional tone. 

The  woman  sat  there,  serenely  unconscious 
that  she  was  talked  about,  and  Molly  had 
to  turn  away  to  hide  her  merriment.  It  was 
one  of  her  minor  trials  that  Pauline  could,  at 
almost  any  time,  surprise  her  into  a  giggle, 
while  remaining  herself   as  sedate  as  an  owl. 

As  Molly  was  looking  toward  the  hotel, 
she  happened  to  espy  the  three  English  girls 
tripping  down  the  path  in  Indian  file,  swing- 
ing long  towels  in  their  hands. 

"  They  are  actually  going  in  bathing," 
said  Molly,  pretending  that  this  was  what 
she  was  laughing  at. 

"/  want  to  go  bavin', "  echoed  Donald, 
hopping  up  and  down  on  the  great  loose 
cobble-stones.     "/  want  to  go  bavin'." 

In  his  excitement  he  lost  his  unsteady  foot- 
ing, and  pitching  headlong  into  the  fish-net, 
became  entangled  in  it  like  a  fly  in  a  cobweb. 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  \2J 

Molly  extricated  him  as  deftly  and  quickly 
as  she  could,  though  this  was  a  work  of 
time,  because  he  struggled  and  twisted  him- 
self about  and  kept  catching  his  active  little 
fingers  in  the  meshes. 

But  the  annoying  little  incident  had  not 
diverted  the  boy  in  the  least  from  his  original 
desire.  He  was  no  sooner  free  than  he  re- 
peated emphatically, — 

"  I  say,  I  want  to  go  bavin\" 

"  Not  to-day,  precious,"  answered  Molly, 
smoothing  his  hair,  which  the  net  had  tossed 
this  way  and  that,  till  the  child's  head  resem- 
bled a  thistle  gone  to  seed.  "We  can't  any 
of  us  go  into  the  ocean  to-day,  not  even 
Kirke.  We  didn't  bring  our  bathing-suits 
with  us,  you  see,  Donny." 

Her  reply  provoked  from  her  little  brother 
a  heartrending  shriek  which  drew  the  three 
English  lassies  in  haste  to  his  side. 

"  Poor    little   fellow,   we    saw   him   fall   into 


128  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

that  net.  Is  he  dreadfully  hurt  ? "  cried  the 
eldest,  whom  her  sisters  called  Edith. 

"It  is  a  dreadful  thing  to  fall  into  the 
Seine,"  replied  Pauline,  who  never  could  re- 
sist the  chance  to  make  a  pun. 

"  No,  he  was  not  hurt,"  said  Molly.  "  Only 
in  his  little  feelings,  because  I  can't  let  him 
go  in  bathing,  Miss  Edith.  We  haven't  his 
bathing-suit  here,  and  if  we  had,  I  don't  believe 
mamma  would   dare  let  him  go  into  the  sea." 

"Wouldn't  she  allow  him  to  take  off  his 
shoes  and  stockings  and  wade  in  the  shallow 
water  ? "  asked  kind  Miss  Edith,  wishing  to 
see  the  grieving  child  happy. 

"  Mamma  would,  mamma  would,"  piped 
Donald,  taking  it  upon  himself  to  answer  the 
question. 

"  Do  you  think  so,  little  sailor  ? " 

Miss  Edith  caressingly  touched  the  embroid- 
ered anchor  upon  the  collar  of  his  navy-blue 
jacket,  and  turning  to  Molly  said, — 


THE  MYSTERIOUS  BAG  1 29 

"  Because  I  know  of  a  nice,  shallow  pool 
where  little  ones  often  wade.  It  is  over  there 
between  those  two  rocks  near  the  foot  of  the 
chalk  cliffs." 

"Thank  you,  Miss  Edith,  you're  very  kind 
to  tell  us  about  it,"  replied  Molly,  wiping 
Donald's  eyes,  again  beginning  to  twinkle. 
"You  are  sure  it  is  perfectly  safe?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  it's  so  far  from  the  sea  that  the 
waves  never  wash  into  it  except  at  high  tide." 

This  was  all  true;  and  thinking  she  had 
done  a  kindness  to  the  young  Americans, 
Miss  Edith  gave  them  a  pleasant  nod  and 
followed  her  sisters  to  the  bath-house  lower 
down  the  beach,  to  prepare  for  a  plunge  into 
the  ocean. 

K 


130  THE  HAPPY  SIX 


CHAPTER   X 

WHERE   IS   NUMBER   SIX? 

"  Come,  go  wadin' ;  Molly,  please  come," 
coaxed  Donald,  pulling  at  his  sister's  skirt 
before  the  English  girls  were  out  of   hearing. 

"  Yes,  in  a  minute,  little  brother." 

Molly  lingered  to  tell  the  fish-wife  in  pains- 
taking French  that  they  were  sorry  to  have 
interrupted  her  netting. 

The  woman  puzzled  over  Molly's  words  as 
Molly  and  Pauline  had  previously  puzzled 
over  her  own,  for  the  language  of  Paris  is 
far  different  from  the  patois  of  Normandy. 

"  She  looks  as  black  as  the  boat-house," 
observed  roguish  Pauline,  at  the  same  time 
glancing  tenderly  at  the  old  peasant,  as  if 
paying  her  a  compliment. 


WHERE  IS  NUMBER  SIX?  131 

"  You  sha'n't  guy  the  poor  woman,  Polly ; 
that's  shabby/'  expostulated  her  comrade. 
"  But  tell  me  how  to  make  her  understand 
what  I  said." 

"  Smile  at  her,  Molly,  and  shake  your  head 
at  Donald,  then  at  the  seine.  See  how  that 
will  work." 

Apparently  it  worked  well.  The  fish-wife 
smiled  at  Molly  in  return  and  spread  out  the 
seine  to  show  that  it  was  uninjured. 

"  It's  a  minute  now !  "  cried  Donald  at  the 
end  of  his  scanty  allowance  of  patience.  "  Please 
go,  Molly,  please,  please  !  " 

"We're  going  this  very  second,  Donny; 
but  what  a  little  tease  you  are ! "  returned  his 
sister,  taking  his  chubby  hand  in  hers. 

Then,  bidding  adieu  to  the  matron  of  the 
quaint,  thatched  cottage,  they  all  walked  down 
to  the  beach  in  the  direction  pointed  out  by 
Miss  Edith. 

The  cobble-stones  were  rounded  and  smooth 


132  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

like  paper-weights,  and  moved  beneath  their 
feet  with  every  step.  Molly  was  obliged  to 
support  her  little  brother  very  carefully  to  pre- 
vent his  stumbling,  and  he  dragged  so  heavily 
upon  her  arm  that  she  reached  the  pool 
quite  fatigued. 

Once  there,  divested  of  shoes  and  stockings, 
and  with  his  sailor  trousers  rolled  above  the 
knee,  Donald  skipped  about  in  the  shoal 
water,  laughing  and  screaming  at  the  top  of  his 
little  lungs. 

"  It's  'most  as  good  as  bavin',"  he  called  to 
Weezy.     "  Come  wade  wiv  me  !  " 

"  Pretty  soon,"  replied  Weezy,  seating  her- 
self upon  the  rough  ledge  that  separated  the 
pool  from  the  ocean,  and  beginning  to  unbutton 
her  boots. 

At  the  second  button  her  hand  was  arrested 
by  a  shout  from  the  summit  of  the  cliff  that 
rose  abruptly  at  her  side.  It  was  Kirke's 
voice,   as   clear   and   shrill   as   a   trumpet. 


WHERE  IS  NUMBER  SIX?  1 33 

"  Come  up  here,  all  of  you !  Come  up  and 
see  the  ruins  !  " 

Pauline  sprang  in  haste  from  her  perch  on  a 
rock,  crying, — 

"We'll  do  it,  Molly,  won't  we?  I'm  on 
tiptoe  for  it." 

All  the  morning  she  had  been  longing  to 
explore  this  ancient  Roman  fortress,  of  which 
the  boys  had  talked  the  night  before.  Her 
imagination  had  been  revelling  in  its  half -buried 
donjon,  its  secret  passages  and  its  mouldering 
lookout,  from  which,  according  to  Kirke's  ex- 
travagant statement,  they  could  "  almost  see  the 
north  pole." 

And  now  was  the  very  time  to  visit  the  old 
gray  walls;  yes,  the  very  time,  for  her  father 
and  Paul  and  Kirke  were  wandering  up  there 
photographing  the  ruins,  and  could  help  Molly 
and  herself  over  the  risky  places.  It  was  a 
damper  to  her  enthusiasm  when  Molly  sorrow- 
fully replied, — 


134  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"  You  and  Weezy  can  go,  Polly,  but  I  can't ; 
I  can't  leave  Donald." 

"There'd  be  no  fun  without  you,  Molly." 
Pauline  made  a  wry  face.  "  Can't  we  take 
Donald  up  with  us  ?  " 

"  Not  peaceably,  I'm  afraid,"  whispered 
Molly  with  a  sage  smile.  "  Certainly  not  just 
yet." 

"  Supposing  he  should  cry  a  little ;  that 
wouldn't  hurt  him,"  persisted  Pauline,  hard- 
hearted in  her  eagerness. 

Molly  flushed  an  indignant  crimson.  "I'm 
not  going  to  drag  my  little  brother  out  of  the 
water  for  anybody,"  she  retorted  quickly.  "I 
think  'twould  be  a  burning  shame,  when  he 
loves  it  so  and  has  hardly  been  in  it  two 
seconds." 

Donald  entertained  the  same  opinion,  and 
when  Pauline  essayed  by  sweet  words  to  coax 
him  upon  dry  land,  he  retreated  with  all  speed 
to    the    middle    of    the    pool.      This,    though 


WHERE  IS  NUMBER  SIX?  1 35 

scarcely  nine  feet  across  and  but  four  inches 
in  depth,  was  an  ocean  to  him ;  and  from  its 
secure  centre  he  shook  his  wilful  little  head 
at  his  would-be  captor. 

His  sisters  smiled  indulgently ;  but  Pauline 
betrayed  an  impatience  that  wounded  Molly. 

"  I  want  to  see  the  ruins  as  much  as  Polly 
does,"  she  reflected;  "but  I  won't  cheat  Don- 
ald of  his  little  rights." 

Then  a  bright  idea  occurred  to  her.  "  I've 
a  great  mind,  Pauline,  to  ask  Kirke  to  come 
down  here  and  stay  with  Donny  while  we 
go  up  there." 

And  she  bent  her  neck  backward  to  gaze 
to  the  top  of  the  dizzy  height.  Upon  the 
side  where  they  stood  and  also  upon  the  side 
fronting  the  ocean  the  cliff  was  almost  per- 
pendicular. 

"  Oh,  do  ask  him !  "  returned  Pauline.  "  He 
and  Paul  have  been  through  the  fortress  twice, 
and  we  haven't  seen  so  much  as  the  shed." 


136  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"Pd  scream  to  him  and  ask  him,  Molly," 
said  Weezy,  ever  free  with  advice. 

"Come  up  —  to  see  —  the  ru-ins!"  repeated 
Kirke  on  a  higher  key,  wondering  why  they 
vouchsafed  no  reply. 

"Answer  him,  Molly,  do,  or  he'll  crack  the 
ears  of  France,"  cried  Pauline  at  her  elbow. 

Molly  laughed. 

"Take  pity  on  me,  Miss  Ready-wit,  and 
stop  being  so  funny,"  she  entreated,  proceed- 
ing to  make  a  speaking-tube  of  her  hands, 
and  calling  energetically  to  Kirke,  "Will  you 
—  come  down  —  to  look  out  —  for  Donald?" 

Though  sweet  and  full,  her  tones  were  not 
very  strong.  "Look  out"  was  all  that  Kirke 
could  distinguish  of  her  sentence.  "Can't 
hear,"  he  vociferated;  "speak  louder." 

"We'll  go  — if  you'll— look  out—lor  Don!" 
shouted  Molly  explosively,  nearly  splitting  her 
throat.     "Will you  do  it?" 

"  Of    course    I   will !     Come    right   along ! " 


WHERE  IS  NUMBER  SIX?  1 37 

thundered  Kirke,  who  had  caught  a  word  here 
and  a  word  there  and  had  "jumped"  at  his 
sister's  meaning.  She  wanted  him  to  go  with 
her  to  the  Lookout,  that  tumble-down  tower 
overlooking  the  sea.  He  was  sure  that  was 
what  she  wished,  for  she  was  always  turning 
giddy  in  high  places  and  clinging  to  him, 
afraid  to  take  a  step  by  herself. 

So,  not  to  vex  her  with  needless  questions^ 
Kirke  simply  waved  his  hand  to  put  an  end 
to  the  talk,  and  went  back  to  the  lofty  tower 
to  mount  anew  the  broken  steps  within;  for 
he  wanted  to  decide  how  far  up  it  would 
be  safe  for  Molly  and  Pauline  and  Weezy  to 
climb. 

Meanwhile  the  girls  below  expected  at  any 
moment  to  see  him  descending  the  winding 
path  that  led  from  the  chalk  cliffs  to  the  fish- 
ing village.  When  he  failed  to  appear,  Pauline 
bethought  herself  of  the  secret  passages  she 
had   heard  of.     Probably  he   had   chosen  one 


I3S  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

of  these  to  shorten  the  distance.  Why,  of 
course  he  had,  and  there  was  no  knowing 
just  where  he  would  come  out. 

"  He  must  be  here  soon,  Molly,"  said  Pau- 
line impatiently,  "  and  it's  getting  hotter  and 
hotter.     Why  can't  we  be  going  on  slowly  ? " 

"Will  you  keep  Donald  happy  till  Kirke 
gets  here,  darling  ?  "  asked  Molly,  smiling  at 
her  sister.  "  If  you  will,  I'll  give  you  a 
nickel." 

"I'll  give  you  another,  and  that'll  be  a 
dime,"  added  Pauline. 

Weezy  gladly  consented  to  the  bargain. 
She  was  filling  a  scrap-book  with  paper  flags 
of  all  nations,  and  a  dime  would  purchase 
several  of  these. 

"You  can  run  to  overtake  us,  you  know, 
Weezy,  as  soon  as  Kirke  comes,"  called  Molly 
from  the  entrance  of  the  path.  "Tell  him 
not  to  let  Donald  wade  too  long." 

"I  won't   forget,"  screamed  Weezy,   as   the 


WHERE  IS  NUMBER  SIX?  1 39 

two  girls  passed  from  her  view  behind  a 
bend  in  the  hill. 

At  their  last  glimpse  of  Donald,  he  was 
standing  outside  the  pool  with  Weezy,  look- 
ing at  some  peasant  women  who  were  wash- 
ing at  the  margin  of  the  beach.  The  women 
were  kneeling  with  their  backs  to  the  chil- 
dren, rubbing  the  clothes  white  upon  the 
smooth  stones. 

Twenty  minutes  may  have  elapsed,  and 
Pauline  and  Molly  were  approaching  the  dry 
moat,  that  half  surrounded  the  hoary  fortress, 
when  they  were  startled  by  piercing  shrieks 
from  Weezy,  following  one  another  in  quick 
succession. 

Shrieking  in  their  turn  to  Captain  Brad- 
street  and  Paul  above  them,  they  rushed 
madly  down  the  descent,  and  as  they  drew  near 
the  foot,  met  Weezy  herself,  sobbing  wildly, — 

"Donald's  drownded.  I  know  he's 
drownded." 


140  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

And  choking  with  grief  and  terror,  she 
faltered  out  her  pitiful  story :  — 

Tired  of  waiting  for  Kirke,  she  had  left 
Donald  for  "just  a  teeny  second,"  and 
skipped  away  to  look  at  the  kneeling  washer- 
women. On  her  return  the  child  had  van- 
ished, and  his  little  blue  sailor-suit  lay  in  a 
tumbled  heap  upon  the  brink  of  the  pool. 

"  Donny  had  been  teasing  again  to  go  in 
bathing,  and  I  wouldn't  let  him  go,"  wailed 
his  despairing  little  sister;  "so  I  s'pect  when 
I  wasn't  there  he  skipped  into  the  ocean  all 
alone  by  himself.  Donald,  Don-aid,  where 
are  you  ?  Oh,  dear,  dear.  I  wish  I  was 
dead!" 

"  Run  to  the  inn,  Weezy,  for  papa  and 
mamma ;  run  as  fast  as  you  can,"  cried 
Molly,  in  a  husky  voice. 

The  sympathetic  peasant  women,  having 
discovered  the  cause  of  the  outcry,  had  de- 
serted their  washings   and    clattered   in  their 


WHERE  IS  NUMBER   SIX?  141 

hob-nailed  shoes  toward  the  base  of  the  cliff, 
near  the  tell-tale  garments.  Here  the  water 
was  deeper  than  on  the  beach  in  front  of 
the  boat-house,  and  it  dashed  over  a  ledge 
worn  into  many  chambers.  The  peasants 
were  pointing  to  these  deep  chambers  with 
gloomy  looks,  and  muttering  low  to  one 
another,  when  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rowe  and  Weezy 
came  flying  from  the  inn,  and  met  Captain 
Bradstreet  and  the  boys  upon  the  shore. 

Though  pale  with  anguish,  Mrs.  Rowe  had 
shed  no  tears.  But  when  her  eyes  fell  upon 
the  little  empty  sailor-suit,  she  gathered  it  in 
her  arms  with  the  bitter  cry,  "  O  Donald, 
my  little  Donald,  come  back  to  your  poor 
mamma  ! " 

Then  it  was  that  something  unexpected 
happened  —  something  which  changed  her 
mourning  into  gladness.  A  little  golden  head 
shot  suddenly  up  from  behind  a  neighboring 
rock,    and     a    shrill     little     voice     cried    out, 


142  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"  Here  I  is,  mamma.  Oh,  please  come 
qui-ck." 

Everybody  jumped  as  if  an  earthquake  had 
swallowed  the  cliff. 

"It's  Donald,  it's  Donald!  I  didn't  drown 
him  at  all !  "  shouted  Weezy,  dancing  up  and 
down  in  frantic  joy. 

Her  mother  had  rushed  behind  the  shelter- 
ing rock  to  embrace  her  lost  baby. 

"  Oh,  my  sweet,  cold  darling,"  she  cried, 
pressing  the  wet  child  to  her  breast;  "how 
could  you  frighten  mamma  so  ? " 

"  Didn't  mean  to,  truly.  Was  only  just 
a-bavin',''  —  here  disobedient  Donald  hung  his 
head,  —  "and  Weezy  corned  back,  and  then  I 
runned  and  hid,  —  just  for  fun,  mamma!" 

"But  after  that,  Donald  dear,  you  heard 
people  call  to  you.  Why  didn't  you  answer 
them  and  tell  them  where  you  were  ? " 

Donald  snuggled  closer  to  his  mother's 
breast.     "  I  hadn't  a  bit  o'  clo'es  on,  mamma, 


Here  I  is,  Mamma  " 


Page  142 


WHERE  IS  NUMBER  SIX?  1 43 

don't  you  know  ? "  he  whispered ;  "  not  a  single 
bit  o'  clo'es  on !  S'pose  I  wanted  the  queer 
old  womens  to  see  ? " 

Mrs.  Rowe  answered  him  with  a  kiss.  And 
when  she  had  hurried  on  his  dry  garments, 
she  yielded  him  up  to  his  father  and  the  rest 
of  the  family  to  be  loved  and  petted,  as  if  he 
had  been  a  very  good  instead  of  a  very  mis- 
chievous little  fellow. 


144  THE  HAPPY  SIX 


CHAPTER  XI 

WHAT   STRANGE   COUNTRIES'. 

"Oh,  isn't  it  nice,  Molly,  that  we're  all 
going  to  Ruin  f  "  exclaimed  Weezy,  giving  her 
sister's  hand  an  ecstatic  squeeze  under  the 
table. 

They  were  breakfasting  again  at  Hotel  Fras- 
cati,  their  party  having  returned  the  night  be- 
fore to  Havre. 

"  Don't  say  Ruin,  Weezybus !  You  mix  it 
up  with  the  other  ruins;  but  it's  a  city,  and 
it's  called  Rouen,"  corrected  laughing  Molly, 
ending  the  name  with  a  nasal  flourish. 

"  How  silly !  I  should  think  they'd  know 
better ! "  retorted  the  young  American  critic. 
But  at  the  approach  of  a  waiter  she  immedi- 
ately became  mute.     She   had   a   private   con- 


WHAT  STRANGE   COUNTRIES!  1 45 

viction  that  these  black-coated  individuals  must 
comprehend  English,  they  looked  so  wise. 

On  leaving  the  dining-room,  Weezy  and 
her  friends  passed  out  into  the  spacious  vesti- 
bule, and  there  waited  for  the  carriage  which 
was  to  convey  them  to  the  station.  Jane  Leonard 
was  with  the  others,  free  from  headache  and 
keeping  a  strict  watch  over  frisky  little  Donald. 

As  they  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  long  stair- 
case, the  hotel  servants  —  concierge,  garcons, 
maids  in  white  caps  and  all  —  crowded 
around  them. 

"They're  sorry  we're  going  away,  aren't 
they,  Molly  ?  Just  as  sorry  as  they  can  be," 
whispered  gratified  Weezy. 

"There,  you're  mistaken,  little  miss," 
said  Paul,  who  had  overheard  the  remark. 
"They're   only   hanging   around   for   a   fee." 

"  What  is  a  fee,  Molly  ? "  questioned  Weezy 
aside. 

"  Money  paid  for  work,  dear.  See,  papa  is 
if 


146  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

taking  out  his  purse,  so  is  Captain  Bradstreet ; 
they're  going  to  give  some  French  coins  to 
the  servants." 

"  To  get  the  servants  to  move  out  of  the 
way,"  interposed  Paul  archly.  "They'll 
hand  each  of  them  a  small  sum  to 
make  them  'move  on,'  as  you  do  to  organ- 
grinders." 

Here  the  carriage  drove  up,  and  the  party 
hastened  to  catch  the  train  for  Rouen.  The 
train  was  composed  of  several  small  black 
cars  or  coaches,  which  Kirke  declared  looked 
like  a  row  of  Saratoga  trunks  in  mourning. 
Each  coach  was  divided  widthwise  into  com- 
partments, having  on  either  side  a  door  with 
a  sliding  glass  panel  at  the  top. 

Captain  Bradstreet  was  fortunate  enough 
to  secure  a  vacant  compartment  which  would 
just  accommodate  the  party,  and  The  Happy 
Six  were  soon  quietly  ensconced  in  the  front 
seat  with  their  backs  toward  the  engine. 


WHAT  STRANGE   COUNTRIES!  Itf 

Miss  Evans  sat  opposite  Paul  and  gazed 
abstractedly  out  of  the  window,  hardly  lifting 
her  eyes  from  the  trim  green  hedge  that 
bordered  the  railway  track.  Once  —  they 
were  then  near  Rouen  —  he  saw  her  start 
nervously  and  press  her  hand  to  her  left 
side,  as  if  to  assure  herself  that  the  reticule 
was  in  its  place. 

"  How  she  does  clutch  that  old  bag,"  he 
whispered  in  Kirke's  ear,  as  they  stopped  at 
the  station.  "  Probably  the  conductor  takes 
her  for  a  mail-carrier." 

"  Rouen  is  a  famous  old  city,  Molly ;  I 
hope  you'll  learn  all  you  can  about  it,"  said 
Mr.  Rowe  wearily,  as  they  alighted  at  the 
hotel. 

He  had  not  recovered  yet  from  the  fatigu- 
ing sea  voyage,  and  as  soon  as  they  had 
engaged  their  rooms  at  Hotel  d'Angleterre, 
he  went  to  lie  down. 

When     shown     to     their     own     apartment, 


148  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

Molly  and  Pauline  exclaimed  at  the  number 
of  looking-glasses  it  contained.  Even  the 
upper  halves  of  the  windows  were  mirrors; 
and  in  trying  to  gaze  out  upon  the  river 
Seine,  Pauline  was  surprised  to  see  only  her 
own.  face. 

"They  want  to  make  the  most  of  their 
guests,  I  should  say,"  she  remarked  dryly, 
after  viewing  herself  in  seven  different 
glasses. 

"This  might  be  called  'the  chamber 
of  reflection,' "  she  continued,  arranging  her 
crimps. 

"You're  too  bright  to  live,"  cried  Molly. 
"But  put  on  your  hat  again,  Miss  Vanity. 
Don't  you  know  we're  going  to  drive  around 
the  city?" 

"Who  are  going?" 

"Only  The  Happy  Six;    that's  all." 

Their  driver  was  an  old  man,  intelligent 
and    fond    of    scenery.     He    took    them    first 


WHAT  STRANGE    COUNTRIES!  1 49 

through  some  of  the  oldest  streets  of  Rouen, 
hardly  six  feet  wide,  where  two  teams  could 
not  possibly  pass  each  other.  Perhaps  it 
may  have  been  to  warn  away  other  drivers 
that  he  cracked  his  whip  so  sharply,  —  "as 
if  he  were  killing  an  elephant,"  Kirke  whis- 
pered to  Paul. 

Then  they  went  to  see  the  round  tower 
in  which  Joan  of  Arc  spent  so  many  tedious 
months,  in  a  cell  only  large  enough  to  admit 
a  narrow  window,  yet  with  walls  twelve  feet 
thick. 

Thence  they  drove  to  the  spot  where  she 
was  burned  as  a  witch;  and  Molly  stepped 
from  the  carriage  to  read  the  inscription 
carved  upon  the  stone  in  the  pavement. 

"  Oh,  how  wickedly  they  did  treat  that 
innocent  creature ! "  said  she,  with  flashing 
eyes.  "You  know  she  didn't  want  to  go 
into  battle ;  but  she  *  went  forth  to  save 
France.'  " 


150  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"And  to  crown  Charles  Seventh,"  added 
Pauline.  "  I  detest  him  —  the  ungrateful 
thing ! " 

It  was  some  comfort  to  the  indignant  girls 
to  find  towers  and  fountains  and  streets 
named  for  Jeanne  D'Arc,  and  one  church 
sacred  to  the  wonderful  maid,  where  mass 
is  said  for  soldiers.  They  came  to  that 
in  returning  from  St.  Catharine's  Hill,  from 
which  they  had  gazed  down  upon  the 
Seine. 

"What  a  tiny  river,"  said  Kirke;  "no 
wider  than  a  New  England  brook ! " 

It  mattered  little  to  them  that  Corneille 
was  born  at  Rouen,  and  that  William  the 
Conqueror  died  there.  Their  interest  in  the 
history  of  the  city  was  centred  in  the  trial 
and  martyrdom  of  Joan  the  Maid. 

Their  next  resting-place  was  Mantes,  at 
an  old  hotel  built  around  an  open  court 
—  the  very  court,  so  Pauline  was  told,  where 


WHAT  STRANGE   COUNTRIES!  15 1 

William  the  Conqueror  received  his  death- 
blow, falling  from  his  horse. 

"But  I'm  thankful  to  say  William  didn't 
die  here,"  said  the  lively  girl,  tilting  her 
nose.  "They  carried  him  to  an  abbey  at 
Rouen,  where  I  hope  'twas  cleaner!" 

"  But  Mantes  is  an  interesting  city,  any- 
way," returned  Molly  dreamily.  "Just  think, 
Polly,  it's  eight  hundred  years  old ! " 

"  Humph !  not  very  forward  for  its  age," 
sniffed  Pauline.  "Can't  even  keep  out  of 
the  dirt!  Mould  and  antiquity  are  all  very 
well  for  those  that  can  afford  'em;  as  for 
me,  I'm  satisfied  with  simple  magnificence." 

She  found  "simple  magnificence"  a  day  or 
two  after  at  the  Palace  of  Versailles,  in  the 
Glass  Saloon,  a  ball-room  lined  with  mirrors. 

"  Yankee  Molly,  can  you  believe  your  ears  ? 
The  guide-book  says  this  is  where  Queen 
Victoria  once  opened  the  ball  with  Napoleon 
Third ! " 


152  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

And  Pauline  danced  airily  across  the  floor, 
by  way  of  illustration. 

"I  hope  the  queen  did  it  as  gracefully  as 
that,"  replied  Molly  admiringly.  "  But  oh, 
Pauline,  you  haven't  seen  the  splendid  '  Court 
of  Marble ! '  I  can  show  you  the  balcony 
above  it  that  poor  Marie  Antoinette  stepped 
out  upon  when  she  tried  so  hard  to  pacify 
that  howling  mob." 

"  More  than  a  hundred  years  ago  that  was, 
wasn't  it,  Molly  ? "  said  Pauline,  following  her. 
"  It  makes  me  feel  dreadfully  modern,  like  an 
hour-old  mosquito." 

After  looking  through  the  famous  picture 
gallery,  which  so  fully  illustrates  the  history 
of  France,  the  tourists  proceeded  to  Grand 
Trianon,  the  palace  built  by  Louis  XIV.  for 
Madame  de  Maintenon.  The  apartments  are 
all  on  one  floor. 

"  Perhaps  the  madame  was  clumsy  and 
didn't  like  to  climb  stairs,"  suggested  Pauline. 


WHAT  STRANGE    COUNTRIES!  1 53 

Paul  and  Kirke  were  delighted  with  the 
private  rooms  of  Napoleon  First,  and  with 
his  gorgeous  nuptial  carriage  seen  afterwards 
at  the  Royal  Stables. 

But  Grand  Trianon  did  not  interest  any  of 
them  as  much  as  did  Little  Trianon,  quarter 
of  a  mile  away.  This  is  a  bewitching  toy 
hamlet  in  excellent  preservation.  Here  stands 
the  quaint  old  mill  where  Louis  XVI.  played 
at  being  miller,  and  the  rustic  dairy  where  his 
queen,  the  ill-fated  Marie  Antoinette,  made 
butter  with  her  own  royal  hands;  and  there 
are  modest  little  houses  grouped  around  the 
water,  like  our  summer  cottages  in  America. 

"Aren't  you  glad  that  poor  old  king  and 
queen  had  a  little  fun  before  they  lost  their 
heads  ? "  said  Paul. 

"If  they  hadn't  lost  their  heads  first, 
though,  they  never  would  have  dared  risk  so 
much  fun,"  flashed  back  his  sister. 

"There  seems  to  have  been  no  end   to   the 


154  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

extravagance  of  the  French  court  in  those 
days.  No  wonder  the  people  were  in- 
censed," remarked  Mr.  Rowe,  as  they  entered 
the  carnage  which  was  to  take  them  to  Paris. 

Halfway  to  the  city  they  paused  at  the 
beautiful  village  of  St.  Cloud  to  visit  the  cele- 
brated park  that  had  once  contained  a  palace, 
—  the  favorite  resort  of  royalty. 

"Think  of  the  Germans  burning  it  in  the 
late  war.  What  good  did  that  do  them?" 
cried  the  boys  indignantly. 

"They're  dangerous  people,  those  Ger- 
mans, always  making  a  smoke,"  said  Pauline, 
dismissing  the  topic  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Bois  de  Boulogne. 

For  miles  the  road  lay  through  this  beauti- 
ful forest,  no  longer  as  of  old  haunted  by 
robbers,  but  now  a  fashionable  park.  It  was 
a  lovely  drive,  one  never  to  be  forgotten. 
Even  Weezy  and  Donald  were  quiet,  too  fas- 
cinated to  speak. 


WHAT  STRANGE   COUNTRIES!  1 55 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  Silver 
Gate  tourists  arrived  in  "the  most  beautiful 
city  in  the  world."  On  all  sides  were  life 
and  gayety.  Everywhere  as  they  passed 
were  little  tables  along  the  pavement,  and 
people  seated  around  them  eating  their 
suppers  and  chatting  in  high,  good  humor. 
Weezy  wondered  aloud  if  they  "ever  drank 
tea  in  their  houses?"  Captain  Bradstreet 
said,  "Yes,  when  it  rained." 

The  carriage  left  our  party  at  an  immense 
hotel,  The  Continental,  which  with  its  six 
or  seven  hundred  rooms  was  quite  a  city  in 
itself. 

Here  Miss  Evans  was  met  by  her  uncle, 
and  she  regretfully  took  leave  of  her  kind 
friends.  Mrs.  Rowe's  last  words  to  her 
were :  — 

"  If  you  don't  succeed  with  your  errand  in 
Paris  as  you  wish,  I  hope  you'll  try  London. 
You    remember  we   are   to   leave   here   in   a 


156  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

fortnight.  When  our  route  is  decided  upon, 
I'll  write  you.  We  should  be  delighted  to 
have  you  for  a  travelling  companion  again." 

As  The  Happy  Six  met  next  morning  in 
the  court,  Paul  announced, — 

"  The  picture  galleries  and  shops  and  every- 
thing will  be  closed  to-day.  " 

"  What  for,  Twinny  dear  ? "  asked  his  sister 
in  an  aggrieved  tone. 

"It's  the  Fourteenth  of  July,  Better-half, 
the  anniversary  of  the  taking  of  the  Bastille. 
The  French  call  this  their  Independence 
Day,  so  our  garqon  says.  Something  like 
our  Fourth  of  July,  I  suppose." 

"  Don't  they  have  Fourths  of  Julys  ?  "  put 
in  Weezy.     "  What  funny,  funny  folks !  " 

"Their  Fourteenth  seems  to  be  Memorial 
Day  and  Fourth-of-July  in  one,"  replied 
Paul.  "  Kirke  and  I  are  going  to  Pere  la 
Chaise  this  forenoon  to  see  them  decorate 
their  soldiers'  graves." 


WHAT  STRANGE    COUNTRIES!  1 57 

As  the  boys  approached  this  cemetery,  the 
finest  in  the  city,  they  found  the  streets  on 
every  side  filled  with  dealers  in  crosses  and 
relics  and  immortelles ;  and  these  sombre 
tokens  which  were  afterwards  placed  so  ten- 
derly above  the  sleeping  dead  were  really 
hideous  things. 

"  Not  a  single  flower  or  green  leaf  in  them, 
Molly,"  said  Kirke,  on  their  return,  "nothing 
but  wire  and  tinsel  and  glass." 

But  after  their  mourning  duty  was  per- 
formed, the  Parisians  had  a  festive  time  for 
the  rest  of  the  day,  dancing  on  the  streets  in  the 
evening,  —  old  men  and  old  women,  young  men 
and  young  women,  and  babies  and  all. 

The  whole  fortnight  in  Paris  was  a  giddy 
whirl  of  delight  to  The  Happy  Six.  They 
drove  along  the  boulevards  in  fiacres,  or  on 
the  tops  of  omnibuses.  They  sailed  in  pleas- 
ure boats  on  the  Seine.  They  visited  churches, 
palaces,    and    the   tomb    of    Napoleon.      They 


158  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

even  ascended  to  the  dizzy  summit  of  the 
Eiffel  Tower  which  Weezy  said  "reached  'most 
to  heaven." 

Of  all  the  days  Donald  preferred  the  last, 
at  the  Gardens  of  Acclimatization.  Here  he 
saw  animals  from  every  zone,  and  actually 
was  carried  on  an  ostrich's  back. 

The  children  would  all  have  liked  a  longer 
time  in  the  beautiful  white  city,  but  Mr. 
Rowe  was  in  haste  to  reach  the  baths  of 
Baden  Baden. 

On  the  morning  of  their  departure  the 
Silver  Gate  people  were  joined  at  the  rail- 
road station  by  Miss  Evans,  who  shook  hands 
with  them  all  very  cordially. 

"You  perceive  I've  accepted  your  kind 
invitation  and  am  going  on  to  London  with 
you,"  she  said  to  Mrs.  Rowe. 

And,  tapping  her  reticule  with  her  gloved 
finger,  she  added  a  few  words,  inaudible  to 
the  rest. 


THE    VERY  HAPPY  SIX  1 59 


CHAPTER  XII 


THE   VERY   HAPPY    SIX 


"  See,  she's  tacked  on  that  everlasting  bag 
again,  Molly,"  whispered  Pauline,  as  the  train 
started.  "  It  always  reminds  me  of  a  great 
tag  on  a  little  parcel,  as  if  Miss  Evans  had 
been  done  up  to  be  sent  by  express." 

That  night  they  reached  Besancon,  an  old 
Roman  city  just  under  the  wall  of  the  Jura 
Mountains.  The  hotel  at  which  they  stopped 
was  very  curious,  with  sleeping-rooms  tucked 
away  here  and  there,  like  swallows'  nests  in 
a  bank.  Sometimes  these  rooms  were  entered 
from  within  the  house,  sometimes  from  with- 
out, by  sly,  crooked  stairways. 

Molly  and  Pauline  could  see  no  beds  in 
their  apartment,  and  ran  after  the  porter  to 
ask  him  where  they  were  to  sleep. 


l60  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

He  smiled  rather  patronizingly,  and  threw 
open  some  unsuspected  doors  in  the  parti- 
tion, which  had  been  concealed  by  the  flowery 
wall-paper.  Inside  were  two  single  bedsteads, 
with  maroon  curtains  of  damask,  and  on  each 
bed  was  the  usual  little  down  quilt  called  a 
duvet,  which  had  an  inconvenient  habit  of 
crawling  off  upon  the  floor  whenever  the  oc- 
cupant of  the  bed  turned  over. 

Altogether  the  hotel  was  very  quaint,  and 
so  completely  surrounded  by  tall  buildings 
that  it  rarely  saw  the   sun. 

"  Papa  says  the  house  is  centuries  old,"  said 
Molly,  throwing  up  their  narrow  window. 

"  Well,  we  might  have  known  it,"  replied  the 
ready  Pauline.  "  We  might  have  known  it  was 
built  in  the  dark  ages  by  the  lack  of  light  in  it." 

"Papa  says  Victor  Hugo  was  born  in  this 
city,"  returned  Molly.  "We're  all  going  by 
and  by  to  see  his  old  house,  and  we'll  pho- 
tograph it." 


THE    VERY  HAPPY  SIX  l6l 

Next  day  the  party  drove  in  carriages 
through  the  lovely  valley  of  the  Loire  to  the 
bewitching  little  village  of  Mouthier,  where 
there  are  no  streets  to  mention,  the  houses 
being  scattered  around  in  clusters,  "as  if,"  as 
Kirke  said,  they  had  been  "shaken  out  of  a 
pepper-box." 

Here  they  visited  a  cheese-factory,  in  what 
had  once  been  a  convent,  and  they  declared 
they  should  never  want  any  more  French 
cheese;   but  they  forgot  this  afterward. 

To  tell  of  all  their  travelling  experiences 
would  weary  you.  How  they  drove  through 
tunnels  and  around  the  brink  of  precipices, 
to  see  the  Loire  rush  out  from  its  mountain 
cave  a  full-grown  river. 

How  in  Switzerland  they  climbed  the  Alps 
on  wise-looking  little  donkeys,  took  a  peep  at 
the  yellow  stone  city  of  Neuchatel,  once  peo- 
pled by  the  Lake-dwellers,  and  looked  down 
into  the  bear-pits  of  Berne. 


1 62  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

How  in  Germany  they  spent  weeks  in  Ba* 
den  Baden,  and  Mr.  Rowe  was  benefited  by 
the  mud-baths,  which  in  Weezy's  opinion 
were  not  at  all   clean. 

How  in  approaching  Cologne  they  passed 
vast  grain-fields,  where  the  wheat  had  been 
reaped  and  stacked  into  piles  shaped  like 
little  woodsheds. 

How  in  Cologne  they  spent  much  time  in 
its  cathedral,  —  the  finest  Gothic  cathedral  in 
the  world.  Paul  and  Molly  never  tired  of 
gazing  at  its  graceful  arches,  its  clustered  col- 
umns and  beautiful  pictured  windows  of 
stained  glass. 

Kirke  and  Pauline,  however,  were  more  fas- 
cinated by  the  scene  in  front  of  their  hotel, 
the  Victoria. 

It  chanced  to  be  market  morning,  and  the 
peasant  women  had  flocked  into  the  city  be- 
fore sunrise,  pushing  before  them  hand-carts 
filled  with    fruit   and   vegetables.     Large  dogs 


THE    VERY  HAPPY  SIX  1 63 

were  harnessed  underneath  many  of  these 
carts,  and  trotted  contentedly  with  their  bur- 
dens to  the  open  square,  where  they  either 
lay  down  to  rest,  or  stood  howling  and  bark- 
ing by  fifties,  while  their  mistresses  chattered 
and  laughed,  and  spread  out  their  wares  to 
attract  customers. 

It  was  while  still  in  Germany  that  the 
Americans  took  a  carriage  drive  along  the 
banks  of  the  Rhine  to  visit  a  grim,  feudal 
castle  covered  with  ivy  and  surrounded  by  a 
moat.  The  castle  was  the  residence  of  an 
absent  count,  and  was  kept  open  by  servants, 
who,  for  a  small  fee,  would  show  the  interior 
to  visitors. 

"  What  a  lovely,  mouldy  old  place ! "  exclaimed 
Pauline,  when  the  horses  had  stopped  before 
it.  And  springing  to  the  ground  she  hastened 
into  the  court,  across  what  formerly  had  been 
a  drawbridge. 

Miss   Evans   followed   more   slowly,  pausing 


1 64  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

midway  to  peep  over  the  rail  down  into  the 
sluggish  water  of  the  moat  beneath  her. 
Owing  to  a  vegetable  growth  upon  its  sur- 
face, this  water  was  as  green  and  velvety  as 
a  meadow. 

"  I  should  think  that  pasture-y  look  would 
fool  near-sighted  cows,  shouldn't  you,  Miss 
Evans  ? "  said  Kirke  at  her  elbow ;  and  he 
was  gratified  that  she  positively  laughed  at 
his  nonsense.  This  made  the  second  time 
she  had  laughed  that  day.  Entranced  by  the 
beauty  and  antiquity  of  the  spot,  she  ran 
about  the  park  with  Weezy  like  a  gay  young 
girl;  stopped  at  the  ponds  to  feed  from  her 
own  luncheon  the  gold-fish  and  swans;  and 
on  returning  to  the  castle  waved  her  handker- 
chief from  its  highest  turret. 

"  She  actually  looks  happy,  Polly,"  observed 
Molly,  answering  the  salute  from  the  bridge 
below. 

"So  she  does.      She   must  have  forgotten 


THE    VERY  HAPPY  SIX  1 65 

herself,"  responded  Pauline  with  a  touch  of 
sarcasm. 

Pauline  was  right.  Miss  Evans  had  for- 
gotten herself,  and  for  this  reason  something 
very  sad  had  occurred  —  something  which 
little  Miss  Weezy  was  the  first  to  recognize. 

She  sat  opposite  Miss  Evans  in  the  carriage, 
and  after  they  had  driven  several  miles  toward 
Cologne  suddenly  exclaimed, — 

"  Why,  how  funny,  Miss  Evans !  You 
haven't  brought  your  reticule !  " 

The  young  lady  flashed  a  glance  at  her 
belt    and    threw   up   both   hands   with   a   cry. 

"What  shall  I  do  ?  What  shall  I  do?  I've 
lost  my  bag!  I  had  it  when  we  started,  and 
now  it  is  gone  !  " 

"  Edward,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Rowe  to  her 
husband,  "please  ask  the  coachman  to  turn 
the  carriage  about.  We  must  drive  back  for 
the  reticule  at  once.  I've  told  you  of  its 
valuable  contents." 


166  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

"  Family  heirlooms  probably,"  reflected  Cap- 
tain Bradstreet.  "  What  was  the  girl  thinking 
of  to  carry  such  trinkets    about  her  person  ? " 

"  Do  you  recollect  where  you  last  saw  the 
reticule,  Miss  Evans  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Rowe,  when 
the  horses  were  retracing  their  steps. 

"  Oh,  I  can't  remember,  Mr.  Rowe !  "  Miss 
Evans's  face  was  ghastly  white.  "  I  haven't 
the  remotest  idea.  How  could  I  —  how  could 
I  have  forgotten  that  reticule  for  one  mo- 
ment ? " 

"  Don't  worry,  Miss  Evans ;  we'll  find  it 
for  you,"  called  Kirke  from  his  seat  beside 
the  coachman.  "  Paul  and  I  will  find  it  for 
you,  if  we  kill  ourselves  running." 

But  though  the  boys  hunted  diligently,  and 
the  whole  party  aided  in  the  quest,  twilight 
fell,  and  the  reticule  had  not  been  discovered. 

They  had  searched  the  highway  leading 
to  the  castle ;  had  searched  the  castle  itself, 
and    questioned     the    apple-cheeked     serving- 


THE    VERY  HAPPY  SIX  1 67 

maid,  who  had  just  shown  them  its  interior; 
had  searched  the  park,  and  even  the  ponds 
within  it;  and  at  last  had  met  in  despair 
upon  the  bridge  that  spanned  the  moat. 

"  I  think  I  must  have  dropped  my  reticule 
into  this  water  when  I  leaned  over  the  rail 
here  this  afternoon,"  said  Miss  Evans,  her 
voice  quivering.  "  In  that  case,  the  manu- 
script would  be  spoiled  before  now." 

"Let's  take  another  look  for  it  in  the  park; 
it's  lighter  there,"  whispered  Kirke  to  Paul; 
from  no  expectation  of  finding  the  coveted 
object  where  it  had  been  so  patiently  sought, 
but  from  a  strong  desire  to  get  out  of  the 
way  before  Miss  Evans  began  to  cry.  Like 
boys  in  general,  he  had  a  great  aversion  to 
seeing  a  woman  in  tears. 

"  Have  you  a  copy  of  the  book,  Miss 
Evans  ? "  asked  Mrs.  Rowe,  as  the  boys 
were  walking  away  unobserved. 

"  Not  one  line,  Mrs.  Rowe.     My  father,  by 


1 68  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

mistake,  destroyed  the  rough  draft  when  he 
was  burning  up  old  papers." 

"I  pity  you  with  all  my  heart,  dear 
friend,"  said  Mrs.  Rowe,  deeply  moved. 
"  But  don't  be  discouraged.  It  is  too  dark 
to  look  longer  now,  but  we  will  come  back 
to-morrow." 

"O  Mrs.  Rowe,  if  I  had  only  listened  to 
you,  and  sent  it  by  express ! "  wailed  Miss 
Evans.  "  But  I  had  too  much  sentiment. 
That  book  was  my  father's  life-work,  and  I 
couldn't  bear  to  trust  it  out  of  my  sight." 

"  I'm  very  sorry  for  you,  Miss  Evans,"  ob- 
served Captain  Bradstreet,  adding  mentally, 
"sorry,  too,  that  you  should  have  been  so 
foolish." 

"  It  is  too  dreadful ! "  The  young  lady 
could  no  longer  restrain  her  tears.  "  O 
Captain  Bradstreet,  to  think  that  the  precious 
manuscript  should  have  been  lost  by  me, 
papa's  own  daughter!" 


I've  found  it  !  " 


Page  169 


THE    VERY  HAPPY  SIX  1 69 

"  Miss  Evans  had  failed  to  make  satisfac- 
tory arrangement  for  bringing  out  the  book 
in  Paris,  Captain  Bradstreet,"  explained  Mrs. 
Rowe.  "  Consequently,  she  was  taking  it  to 
publishers  in  London." 

"It's  a  sad  loss,  a  sad  loss,"  returned  the 
captain,  as  he  helped  the  ladies  into  the  car- 
riage. "  But  where  are  the  rest  of  us  ? "  he 
added.     "We  can't  leave  our  boys." 

"They're  coming,  they're  running  like 
everything,"  cried  Weezy,  standing  upon  the 
wagon-seat  to  look.  "  Kirke  is  holding  some- 
thing up  high,  and  shaking  it." 

"It's  a  bag!"  shouted  Molly,  clapping  her 
hands.     "I  do  believe  it's  Miss  Evans's  bag!" 

"  I've  found  it !  Found  it  just  outside  the 
park,"  yelled  Kirke,  when  within  hearing  dis- 
tance. "  It's  all  right.  The  dew  hasn't 
hurt  it!" 

It  seems  that  in  leaving  the  park  Kirke 
had  seen  the  glitter  of  steel  under  the  luxu- 


170  THE  HAPPY  SIX 

riant  ivy  at  its  entrance,  and  stooping  to 
brush  aside  the  vines,  had  touched  the  clasp 
of  the  lost  reticule. 

"  I  suppose  the  chain  caught  upon  the 
fence  when  you  squeezed  through  that  nar- 
row gap,  Miss  Evans,"  said  he,  in  winding 
up  his  story. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Evans,  it  must  have  caught 
and  twitched  your  bag  off  so  quickly  that 
you  didn't  know  it,"  added  Paul,  as  the  car- 
riage rolled  on  ;  "  and  then  the  bag  fell  into 
that  tangle  of  leaves  where  nobody  noticed 
it  but  Kirke.  His  eyes  are  as  sharp  as  a 
razor." 

"  Fortunately  for  me,  Paul !  "  Miss  Evans 
was  half -laughing,  half-crying.  "  O  Kirke,  I 
can't  be  grateful  enough  to  you  for  bringing 
this  back  to  me  !  " 

Kirke  blushed  with  pleasure,  and  Paul  felt 
a  momentary  pang  of  regret  that  he  had  not 
discovered  the  valued  article  himself. 


THE    VERY  HAPPY  SIX  \J\ 

He  looked  on  with  interest  as  Miss  Evans 
drew  from  the  alligator-skin  bag  a  parcel 
neatly  encased  in  oiled  silk.  It  was  her 
father's  manuscript,  written  in  a  fine  clear 
hand,  upon  very  thin  commercial  paper. 

"Untouched,  uninjured!  This  is  more  than 
I  deserve!"  she  exclaimed  joyfully. 

"Good!  Three  cheers  for  the  finder! 
Nine  cheers  for  the  owner ! "  cried  Paul, 
swinging  his  cap. 

And  The  Happy  Six  joined  in  a  gay 
hurrah. 

We  might  follow  the  glad  children  over 
Europe  and  back  again  to  their  sunny  home 
on  the  Pacific ;  but  perhaps  it  is  better  to 
leave  them  right  here,  for  then  we  end  the 
book  as  we  began  it,  with  a  chorus  of  chil- 
dren  giving  three  cheers. 


The  Dorothy  Dainty  Series 

By  AMY  BROOKS 

Large    i2mo     Cloth     Illustrated 
by  the  Author     Price  $1.00  Each 

Dorothy  Dainty 
Dorothy's  Playmates  y 

Dorothy  Dainty  at  School 
Dorothy  Dainty  at  the  Shore 
Dorothy  Dainty  in  the  City 
Dorothy  Dainty  at  Home 
Dorothy  Dainty's  day  Times 
Dorothy  Dainty  in  the  Country 
Dorothy  Dainty's  Winter 
Dorothy  Dainty  in  the  Mountains 

"Little  Dorothy  Dainty  is  one  of  the  most  generous-hearted 
of  children.  Selfishness  is  not  at  all  a  trait  of  hers,  and  she  knows 
the  value  of  making  sunshine,  not  alone  in  her  own  heart,  but  for 
her  neighborhood  and  friends."  — Boston  Courier. 

"DOROTHY  DAINTY,  a  Ettle  girl,  the  only  child  of  wealthy  par- 
ents, is  an  exceedingly  interesting  character,  and  her  earnest  and 
interesting  life  is  full  of  action  and  suitable  adventure." 

—Pittsburg  Christian  Advocate, 


«c  No  finer  little  lady  than  Dorothy 
Dainty  was  ever  placed  in  a  book  for 
children." 

— Teacher?  Journal%  Pittsburg, 

"  Miss  Brooks  is  a  popular  writer  for 
the  very  little  folks  who  can  read.  She 
has  an  immense  sympathy  for  the  chil- 
dren, and  her  stories  never  fail  to  be 
amusing." 

— Rochester  (N.  V.)  Herald. 


LOTHROP,   LEE    &    SHEPARD    CO.,   BOSTON 


Only  Dolile 

By  Nina  Rhoades     Illustrated  by  Bertha  Davidson 
Square  i2mo     Cloth     $1.00 

THIS  is  a  brightly  written  story  of  a  girl  of 
twelve,  who,  when  the  mystery  of  her  birth 
is  solved,  like  Cinderella,  passes  from  drudgery  to 
better  circumstances.  There  is  nothing  strained 
or  unnatural  at  any  point.  All  descriptions  or 
portrayals  of  character  are  life-like,  and  the 
book  has  an  indescribable  appealing  quality 
which  wins  sympathy  and  secures  success. 

"It  is  delightful  reading  at  all  times." — Cedar 
Rapids  {la.)  Republican. 

"  It  is  well  written,  the  story  runs  smoothly,  the  idea 
is  good,  and  it  is  handled  with  ability.—  Chicago 
Journal. 

The  Little  Girl  Next  Door 

By  Nina  Rhoades     Large  i2mo    Cloth    Illustrated 
by  Bertha  Davidson     $1.00 

A  DELIGHTFUL  story  of  true  and  genuine  friendship  between  an 
impulsive  little  girl  in  a  fine  New  York  home  and  a  little  blind  girl 
in  an  apartment  next  door.  The  little  girl's  determination  to  cultivate 
the  acquaintance,  begun  out  of  the  window  during  a  rainy  day,  triumphs 
over  the  barriers  of  caste,  and  the  little  blind  girl  proves  to  be  in  every 
Way  a  worthy  companion.  Later  a  mystery  of  birth  is  cleared  up,  and  the 
little  blind  girl  proves  to  be  of  gentle  birth  as  well  as  of  gentle  manners. 

Winifred's  Neighbors 

By  Nina  Rhoades  Illustrated 
by  Bertha  G.  Davidson  Large 
1 2  mo     Cloth     $1.00 

LITTLE  Winifred's  efforts  to  find  some 
children  of  whom  she  reads  in  a  bouk 
lead  to  the  acquaintance  of  a  neighbor 
of  the  same  name,  and  this  acquaintance 
proves  of  the  greatest  importance  to  Winifred's 
own  family.  Through  it  all  she  is  just  such  a 
little  girl  as  other  girls  ought  to  know,  and 
the  story  will  hold  the  interest  of  all  ages. 

For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  postpaid  on  receipt 
of  price  by  the  publishers 

LOTHROP,    i.BB    &    SHEPARD   CO.,    BOSTON 


it    i  *  1 1|3 

1 

1 

winifred's 
Neighbors 

( 

Wt 

O ""'"  — 1 

H                "  ""NINA  RHOADES 

.,-- 


^6 


/ 


